Three MORE Things: Reading Is No Joke
by DangerouslyCute123
Summary: (Sequel to Three Last Things) What happens when a new girl arrives that's close to Adrien? Who is she, and will she be the reason why Hawk Moth wins? Will Sam help her decide? Starring pinksakura271's OC, Cecilia Roserade, my OC Sam Blackwell, and UnicornSecrets' OC Melissa Gray. Rated T to be safe! (NOTE: Chapters 7-10 have been updated due to a character being redone)
1. Chapter 1 - A Miraculous Encounter

**Author's Note** **:** I do NOT own Miraculous or the character Cecilia Roserade. Miraculous belongs to Zag Toons and Cecilia belongs to pinksakura271. For Cecilia's full description, visit pinksakura's profile page. The character Sampson Hikaru Blackwell _was_ created by me, though, and if you would like to see his full character bio, feel free to read it on my profile. Other than that, I present to you the first chapter of _Three MORE Things: Reading Is No Joke_ , "A Miraculous Encounter".

* * *

Sampson Hikaru Blackwell was running late.

 _Very_ late.

He sprinted to the high school as fast as his legs would carry him, black hair flying, dark blue eyes wild. He ran so fast while checking his watch that he didn't see the blonde girl with glasses until it was too late.

 _WHAM!_

"Aw, feathers!" he yelled as they collided.

At the same time, the girl shouted, "Oh my pink!"

The students were stunned, books fell, and papers flew everywhere.

"I am SO sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going and I was running REALLY late so I didn't expect anyone else to be here, I guess, and are you okay? If you're hurt, that is ALL my fault! I can help get you to the nurse's office if you'd like-"

"Calm down, it's okay! I'm sure this sort of thing happens to lots of people all the time," the girl said as Sam bent down to pick up the books. "But, um... Could you help me find my glasses first?"

"Right, uh... Ah! Found 'em! Here..." Sam put the jet-black glasses back on the girl's face, and that was when he got a real good look at her.

You could say she was pretty, but to Sam, she seemed much more than that. She was undoubtedly, absolutely, undeniably _beautiful_! Her golden hair reached her waist and was held back from her face with pink head band decorated with fabric cherry blossoms. It framed her face perfectly. She wore a black shirt that read "Pink is Powerful" in pink stitching, a jean jacket that was fashionably cuffed at the elbows, jeans with cherry flowers down the sides, and boots that had deer and cat designs. Her lips were a soft pink and we're brought out by her pale, almost snowy, complexion. And her eyes. They were the most gorgeous eyes he had ever seen. They were a shocking pink, and had a certain sparkle to them that Sam could only describe as magical. He almost gasped, but stopped himself before she took it the wrong way.

Which she did. "You don't have to hold back, you know. And yes, I heard it. My eyes are pink. It's uncommon. I get that a lot."

"Uncommon? Sure, but I was gonna say magical," Sam replied, then quickly covered him mouth with his hand after he realized what he had let slip out. He started to blush a bit.

The girl laughed. Her giggles reminded Sam of clear bubbles with rainbow tints popping against silver bells freshly polished by fairies. (How he imagined that, even he didn't know.) "Thanks," she said. "By the way, my name is Cecilia. I'm new here, and they're probably going to have someone show me around. You go to school here, right?"

"What? Oh, of course not! Can't you tell? I'm one of the teachers and I was running late. I just got a call from the office telling me that my students locked themselves in bathroom stalls 'cuz they'd rather be playing video games than going to school," Sam joked, getting up after all the books had been given back to their owners. He offered Cecilia a hand and helped her up as she laughed again. "My name is Sam, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you Sam," she said with a sunshine smile.

"So, what was that about someone probably needing to show you around?"

"Well, I _did_ have someone in mind already-"

"Oh."

"- _But_ , it would be nice to be shown around by a new friend. If they have me tour around, will you be my guide?" Cecilia asked.

Sam hoped he wasn't blushing. He could feel heat rising to his face. The way she asked sounded so innocent and sweet, how could he say no?

"O-of course! We should get to class, though. It's probably already started."

He opened the doors for her and they walked into class.

And that was the beginning of the beautiful friendship between Sampson Hikaru Blackwell and Cecilia Roserade...

...As well as the start of something new for the both of them.


	2. Chapter 2 - Lady Deafinizer

**Author's Note:** I do NOT own Miraculous nor do I own the OC Cecilia Roserade. Sam Blackwell _is_ my OC though. Cecilia belongs to pinksakura271 and I had TONZ of help from her in creating this story, so don't give me all the cred. Now without further adeu, I hope you all enjoy this second chapter. :)

* * *

Sam and Cecilia walked into the classroom, laughing together and deep in conversation. The teacher was running late and still hadn't started yet and so all the students were talking amongst each other.

"Guess we were lucky," Sam said.

"Guess so," Cecilia agreed.

Adrien Agreste glanced to the door in time to see Cecilia come in as he was talking to his girlfriend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. He immediately stopped talking and stood up, running over to the pink-eyed blonde. "Cecilia Roserade!" he cried. Adrien gave the girl a tight hug and spun her around in circles as she giggled hysterically. "I've missed you so much my pink deer!"

"I missed you too, my cheese-loving kitten!"

Marinette joined Sam on the side, utterly dumbfounded. Sam felt the same as Mari. "Aren't YOU two dating?" Sam asked the bluenette, a bit jealous.

"Y-yeah. At least, I thought we were," Marinette replied, experiencing the same jealousy.

Sam put a hand to his forehead. "Did I walk into another world or something?!"

"If you did, I think I came with you!" Marinette said.

Adrien set the new girl down, "Guys, this is Cecilia Roserade, my sister in pink! I haven't seen her in a while, but it feels more like FOREVER!"

"Same!" Cecilia squealed. "How have you been? Isn't it great that we get to go to the same school now?!"

"Hi, it's nice to meet you, Cecilia!" Marinette greeted, all jealousy melting away into understanding and acceptance after Adrien explained.

Cecilia's smile suddenly seemed strained, and her eyes appeared to flare like a fire. "It's nice to finally meet you, too, Marinette," she said, returning the greeting.

"You know my name?"

"Of course. Adrien is always talking about you when we talk over the phone," Cecilia replied dryly.

Adrien began blushing. "Um... Let's not talk about this while Sam is here. Uh, sorry, Sam."

"Nah, it's fine," the dark haired boy replied. At the same time, he tried ignoring the small voice in his head that whispered, _You better not take her from me, Adrien Agreste._

* * *

Luna Mew walked up to the door of the Roserade household, happy to see her little Cecilia again and even happier to teach her. She rang the doorbell and smoothed out her skirt as she waited for someone to answer the door. Usually, Cecilia would open the door, but today Luna was met with a surprise.

One that she would deem terrible.

The door opened. "Oh, Raymond! How lovely to see you! Where's Cecilia? I'm ready to give her her lesson for today!" Luna said cheerfully.

"Oh," Raymond said, realizing that he had forgotten to tell Luna about Cecilia's new arrangements. "Um... Why don't you come in for awhile? Shop doesn't open for another hour, and I've got something that I forgot to tel you."

"Alright, then," Luna replied, stepping into the house. As usual, it was spotless. And richly decorated. Red carpets covered the white-tiled floors and intricate lamps hung from the ceiling. It made a person stop and wonder how a florist could be so rich! Well, all the close friends of the Roserades knew that aside from coming from an already wealthy family, Raymond Roserade was a successful business man. His humble little flower shop may not say it, but Mr. Roserade actually had a chain of flower shops not just all over Europe, but around the whole world as well. Naturally.

They sat down at the living room and Raymond had someone bring them some coffee and tea. Coffee for himself and tea for Luna.

"Now, what is it that you wanted to tell me?" Luna asked.

"Well, you see," Raymond began, sipping his drink, "I've enrolled Cecilia in a public school. The one that Gabriel Agreste's son goes to."

Luna almost spilled her tea. "What?! Why?! Wasn't I doing a good enough job of teaching her?!" She didn't mean to raise her voice. It was very unladylike of her, but she just couldn't help herself. Why was Raymond taking her little Cecilia away from her?

"No, no! Don't take it that way!" Raymond said, desperately trying to calm the home school teacher down. "In fact, it's _because_ you've been teaching her so well that I've finally enrolled her in school. Thanks to you, I finally felt that she was ready to live the normal life of a teenager."

"What are you saying? Being home schooled isn't normal?"

"Well... Not many children are home schooled. Some go to private schools, but most attend public schools where they can meet new people and make new friends. I just thought that maybe it was time for Cecilia to expand her horizon. She has so few friends, not just because she's home schooled, but because she's also _privately_ home schooled."

"So? She'll have plenty of time to make new friends as she's older! She doesn't need to go to school just for that!"

Raymond sighed. "Luna, she needs to learn how to work better with others. Cecilia needs to learn how to cooperate and work in a team. She hasn't had that experience in her life yet, and if she doesn't get it soon, it will be very hard for her to adapt in the future. I heard her talking over the phone with Adrien Agreste the other day. She going on and on about how she didn't like his girlfriend, but she hasn't even met her yet! Prejudging people before you even meet them is not something I want my daughter to make a habit of."

"Couldn't I just teach that that her?"

"Luna, you're only one person, and there's only so much one person can do on their own. Don't you think we should loosen our grips on Cecilia? She's growing up, getting older, maturing. There are some things that she needs to learn on her own, and one of those things is getting along with others her age. I know you love teaching her, but don't you think it's time for her to experience what other teenage girls her age experience?"

"I suppose so..." Luna huffed.

Raymond gave her a gentle smile. "Good. I'm glad that we can finally see eye-to-eye." He checked his watch. "Oh, I need to get going and open shop for the day. You're welcome to stop by later after Cecilia comes home from school if you want to see her."

"That would be lovely. Thank you for clearing everything up Raymond."

"Of course. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Thank you so much for understanding."

Luna nodded. "R-ight." She hoped that he didn't hear her small stutter.

Raymond escorted her back to the door. "Come again," he said.

"I will," Luna replied, mustering a fake smile.

She left the home and walked to an isolated area under a bridge and sat down at a bench that looked over the water of the river. That's when she let her image down and when her tears began to fall. Her Cecilia didn't need her anymore! That's basically what Raymond had said, wasn't it? Why was she being tossed aside like an unwanted doll? And after all she had given to them! Why wasn't she needed.

Her vision was she blurred by her tears that she didn't notice the black butterfly disappear into the pink rose ring her precious Cecilia had given her until it was too late.

Luna's face reddened with fury and her lavender eyes narrowed. The neon purple outline of a particular masked framed her eyes.

 _Hello, Luna Mew, or should I say Lady Deafinizer? I've just heard about how your little prodigy's father says you aren't needed for his daughter anymore. How awful. But here's an idea: Her father wants her to be in a class? Why don't I give you the power to teach one of your own? In exchange though, you must give me the miraculouses of a particular red ladybug and black cat. What do you say?_

"It's a pleasure to be teaching with you, Hawk Moth," Luna replied out loud, and she let the darkness envelop her.


	3. Chapter 3 - Deer Heart

**Author's Note** : Again I do NOT own Miraculous OR Cecilia Roserade/Deer Heart. Miraculous belongs to Zag Toons and Cece belongs to pinksakura271. Other than that, enjoy! :D (Also, sorry about the long wait. Something came up and I wasn't able to finish writing the chapter last week. Sorry again if this was of any inconvenience!)

* * *

"...So you see, when you mix these two chemicals together, you'll get a new chemical called-" Ms. Mendeleiev said.

Principal 's voice came over the school's intercom. "A destructive villain has been spotted heading for the school. Please allow the students to evacuate to their homes while they still have the chance. Thank you."

"Well, you heard the man. Everyone, you're all free to go," Ms. Mendeleiev dismissed.

Marinette looked at Adrien and he gave her a small nod. He then turn to the back where Cecilia sat and had a questioning look on his face that asked, _You in?_

Cecilia nodded back with a smile that was both genuine and a bit strained. The three heroes walked to their respective bathrooms and changed into their hero forms. (Marinette wasn't surprised that Cecilia had an alter ego because Adrien had told her earlier.)

The three heroes then rushed outside and regrouped on the roof of the school...

...Not unnoticed by a particular British-Japanese student.

* * *

Sam saw Cecilia rush out of class. He tried to follow her, wanting to talk to her more. Running quickly, he called her name, "Cecilia-!" And then tripped. The last thing he saw was his new friend hurrying into the girls' restroom.

 _Guess it's a good thing I didn't follow her_ , he thought dryly, picking himself off the floor. As he got up though, he saw flashes of bright red and pink light from under the door. _What the-?_

He ducked just in time behind the biggest thing he could find, worried that the bad guy was inside the bathroom. He watched the door and saw two figures step out. One had blue pigtails and wore a red suit with black spots as well as a matching mask. In her hand she carried a red-and-black yo-yo. The other girl had a braid with pink sakura blossoms that hung down her back and sported a light brown suit that was white in the front, like a deer's coat. A crown of fake pink deer ears and antlers along with more of the pink flowers rested on her head and she held a small black flute rather than a yo-yo.

 _Ladybug and another heroine?!_

On the opposite side of the wall was the door to the guys' room, and out of that door stepped a blond boy in black leather.

 _Chat Noir?!_

Sampson Hikaru Blackwell may have been new to Paris, France, but the two heroes were widely known. If you didn't know about the two animal-themed, teenaged superheroes that were just as famous as the Eiffel Tower itself, then you must have been out of touch with the present-day world.

Still, though, who was the other superhero? And why did she seem so familiar?

Just then, it hit him like a brick to the head. Cecilia had just gone into the bathroom! Quickly he began to check off a mental list in his head. _Blonde? Check. Snowy complexion? Yup. Pink eyes? Heck, yeah._

It had to be her!

But if Cecilia was that new hero, then...

Did she know who Ladybug and Chat Noir was?

Sam scrolled through another mental list people he knew. _Alya? Nino? Definitely NOT Chloe. Sabrina? Kim? Alix? Max? Rose? Juleka? Ivan? Mylene? Adrien? Marinette?_

 _Ha._

 _Wouldn't that be funny?_

Marinette and Adrien, superhero couple and duo!

But then again, they did look like Ladybug and Chat... Nah, it was practically impossible. Sure, he had heard Marinette was starting to lose her shyness, but she still wasn't all that great around too many people, not as confident as Ladybug. And Adrien's personality wasn't exactly like Chat Noir's. There were lots of similarities between the two pairs, but the differences seemed so much bigger and made Sam hesitate before he could really put two and teo together. In the end, he decided that Mari and Adrien just couldn't be the famous heroes.

He counted all the people he had named on his fingers. Sam looked up and saw the heroes rushing out the door. _Aw, feathers! Forget who's Ladybug and Chat Noir, I've got to make sure Cecilia's okay, even if she does have superpowers!_

He ran out the doors shortly after they exited.

And outside?

Chaos.

The screams of the Parisians were loud and earpiercing. That wasn't the scary part, though. Oh, no. The scary part was the fact the a scream would suddenly cease to exist. A shriek would be cut off, left unfinished, and the scream after that would have the same story.

Despite how nervous he was about being out in the city right then, Sam looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the heroines and hero. Finally, he spotted them on the top of the school, chatting, probably trying to find a way to stop the akuma attack. He didn't call out to them, worried that they would make him go home.

Instead, he waited, pretending not to have noticed them, and instead stood at the bottom of the school's steps. He saw the heroes jump onto the roof off another building and begin running, and followed them from the ground, sprinting to keep up. It was a good thing he had a five minute mile because they were fast.

Every so often, he would look towards the horizon to make sure he was still with the hurrying heroes until they had reached the park.

There, in the midst of all the commotion, was a lady clothed in a long, white gown and a black mask. Her eyes were pink, kind of like Cecilia, but her irises appeared to be edged in a stunning lavender. The same lavender was worn on her lips and colored the tip of her long, high ponytail, dissolving into the color of the inky strands. People were dispersing all around her, each person shrieking in fear, only to be cut off and held in place as she stared at them with glowing eyes. Every person under her spell would suddenly stop running away, stop screaming, and quietly sit down where they stood as she whispered into their ear.

At the sight of the woman, the deer girl gasped, her pink gloved hands covering her mouth. "Auntie Luna?!"

The akumatized woman turned and spotted the three heroes. She cackled."Oh, look! It's Ladybug and Chat Noir, _plus_ a new friend! How exciting! Now, tell me, what is your name?" the woman asked, looking at the deer hero.

"Deer Heart," the girl replied with confidence.

HawkMoth's symbol came onto the criminal's face. "What a lovely name! You must be enjoying yourself, playing with your friends. It's too bad that your party must end, though, but after all, you children should be learning in school, now shouldn't you? I guess that I, Ms. Lady Deafinizer, will just have to confiscate your miraculouses as punishment!"

The woman leaped quickly and gracefully at the heroes, reaching for the magic garments that they wore, but the heroes were faster. They jumped backwards, out of the villains way. Ladybug unleashed her yo-yo, allowing the indestructible string to wrap around evil-infected person. "Ha, got ya!" she said triumphantly.

"Oh my goodness! You children are so disobedient. For tying me up, you have earned yourself a time out, young lady!" Lady Deafinizer laughed, capturing Ladybug in her neon pink-and-purple-gaze.

"LADYBUG, LOOK OUT!" Chat Noir yelled.

"Huh?!" But it was too late. Sam watched in silent horror from his hiding place (behind a tree) as the confident shine melted away from Ladybug's bluebell eyes. Lady Deafinizer cackled again and walked over to whisper something into the stunned heroine's ear.

Chat Noir pole-vaulted in front of the accidental criminal, raising his pole defensively like a lance. "Don't you take one more step toward my lady. I'm already going to make you pay for what you did, but if you touch her, you've got a whole lot more coming to you!" he sneered with rage.

"Chat! Don't hurt her! That's my Auntie Luna!" Deer Heart called to the black cat.

"Relax, I wasn't really going to hurt her, but I _will_ protect my lady!" he replied.

"How cute! You really think you can protect her from me? I don't think that will be possible, after all, she hasn't been disciplined properly yet," Lady Deafinizer cut in.

Deer Heart took a cautious step closer to Lady Deafinizer. "Auntie Luna? I-it... It's me. Your little prodigy. Luna, you need to snap out of this! Please!"

" _My_ little prodigy? My first prodigy _left_ me! Discarded my superior teachings for the things the kids learn at that _in_ ferior public school!" Luna's smile widened. "But it's no matter. Just _look_ at what her leaving me has allowed me to accomplish! I have so many students, each with their own special talents that I can help enhance. They don't need anyone else to learn from, only me. And now, my class is about to gain another student." Lady Deafinizer was about to turn back to wear Chat stood, who was tense and ready for a fight, when Deer Heart spoke again.

"I never left you, Auntie! I was just trying something new! You were the one who taught me that trying new things was a good thing. You were the one who taught me everything ever since I could remember. I would _never_ discard you!"

Lady Deafinizer turned again, her face contorted in anger. "It appears that this little girl also needs to be taught a lesson!" Her eyes began to glow...

...But Sam was already moving.

He knew the moment Lady Deafinizer had turned again by the look on her face. He knew that she was about to do the same thing to Deer Heart- to _Cecilia_ \- as she did to Ladybug, and he wasn't going to let that happen. He didn't want to see those beautiful pink eyes loose their shine when they were so bright and alive.

In that split second, he didn't even _think_ about moving. All Sam thought about was saving Cecilia from the same stunned state as Ladybug. He sprinted- no, it felt more like he _flew_ \- and to step into the space between Deer Heart and Lady Deafinizer.

"NO!" he cried at the top of his lungs. His eyes met the akumatized woman's as he shielded Cecilia from her entrancing gaze.

Those eyes. Those pink and purple eyes. They brimmed with knowledge, with learning, and with sadness. Sam could feel them push on his soul, smothering it into the deepest depths of his being...

* * *

"SAM?!" Cecilia exclaimed as the boy jumped in front of her, yelling.

She was so surprised that it took her a second to realize what he had done. Sam had taken the hit for her. Had protected her from Luna's gaze.

Which meant he was about to go as lifeless as a statue.

"SAM, NO!" she screeched, putting a hand on his shoulder and trying to move him out of the way, but she was a millisecond too slow.

Pink light enveloped the boy. Sam managed to turn to her, very slowly, and a small smile spread across his face as the lights went out of his eyes and dark crescents formed underneath, as if he hadn't slept in weeks. Lady Deafinizer quickly stepped up and successfully managed to whisper into the ear of her new victim, and Cecilia managed to catch what she had said.

" _Since naughty Deer Heart seems to know and care about you, I want you to fall asleep, and you are not allowed to wake up until I say so._ "

Sam nodded in a zombie-like way, then sluggishly lowered himself to the ground and lay down, using his hands as a pillow. Cecilia watched all this without noticing the tears spilling over her eyes. He knees buckled and she stared at Sam's limp body. He glowed a light pink, just like everyone else under Luna's control, and his chest rose and fell with every breath. After her shock came a wave of panic.

Cecilia placed her hands on Sam's shoulder and shook him furiously. "SAM! SAM, WAKE UP! YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP, SAM!" she screamed as Lady Deafinizer laughed. They both knew it was useless.

There was only one way to bring Sam out of the dream world and into the land of the awake and living.

And that was to defeat Luna.


	4. Chapter 4 - Luna's Fall

**Disclaimer** : I'm sure you guys are already getting used to this, but I'll put it anyway. Lots of this stuff ISN'T mine. Cecilia Roserade/Deer Heart, Luna Mew/Lady Deafinizer, and Deerja the Deer Kwami are all OCs that belong to Pinksakura271. Miraculous belongs to ZAG Toons. I _do_ own Sampson Hikaru Blackwell, though.

Now, read on! :D

* * *

Eventually, Deer Heart stopped trying. Sam wasn't going to wake up until Luna said so, or until she and Chat Noir de-akumatized her. Which was what they were going to do, of course.

At this point she had realized that she was crying. Taking a shuddering breath, Deer Heart shakily rose to her feet as she wiped away her tears. "Auntie Luna, I'm going to make you release Sam from his sleep one way or another, so you might as well do it now," she said, eyes narrowed. She tried desperately to keep the cracks out of her voice.

Lady Deafinizer giggled. "You'll have to catch me first!" Despite her age, the villain effortlessly back flipped over Chat Noir, landing right in front of Ladybug, who was still stunned from her gaze. This time, instead of whispering, she said out loud, "Give me your miraculous, Ladybug."

The spotted heroine reached up to take off her earrings. "No!" Chat yelled, trying to pin her arms to her side, but she was strong. It took Chat much of his strength to keep her arms pinned down, and sooner or later, Ladybug was going to take of her earrings at some point, and he knew that. And then he heard the music.

A beautiful, light melody floated through the air, not just the sound, but physically as well. A stream of small, glowing, brown and pink deer pranced out of Deer Heart's black flute and through Marinette's ears, despite being heard by everyone (who wasn't under a trance). Adrien felt Mari's arms relax, but still she stayed under Lady Deafinizer's trance. The music reached its last note.

Upon seeing this, Lady Deafinizer huffed. "I guess I'll just have to get her miraculous later, but no matter. I'll eventually have all of yours!" With that, she leaped, and glided through the air, her white gown giving off a ghostly inpression.

"I can't heal her, but I was able to make sure that she won't give up her magic," Deer Heart explained.

"That's okay, you did a good job. Can you wake up Sam with your flute? It might be easier to get him somewhere safe," Chat Noir said.

Deer Heart shook her head sadly. "The spell is resisting me. I don't think I can undo Luna's commands once the victim has completed them."

"That's a shame," Chat sighed. "In that case, do you think you can use your music to make him float?"

Deer Heart paused and thought for a while. Then nodded, "Yes, I think so." She took a deep breath and brought the black flute back up to her lips, playing another enchanting melody. The deer pranced out of the flute gracefully, and swirled around Sam's unconcious body. Eventually, they formed a translucent pink bubble around the sleeping boy and lifted him into the air. "This bubble will allow him to follow us while he's asleep. Once Ladybug and restore Paris, the bubble will pop and gently bring him to the ground," Deer Heart explained.

"That's purrfect, my Deer sister," Chat said with a smile as he lifted up the dazed Ladybug bridal style. "I'll carry Ladybug so that you can save your last song for something more important."

Deer Heart nodded in a agreement. She didn't really want to use two of her songs on that Bug anyway. "That sounds like the best idea. So, what now?"

"We go after her," he answered. "By the looks of it, she seems to be heading for the Louvre."

"What will she do when she reaches it? Do you think she'll hypnotize more people?"

"Probably. We better hurry."

"And what do we do once we get there?"

Chat grinned his original, Chesire-like smile. "Don't worry, my Deer sister. I've got a plan."

* * *

If there were a lot of people at the park, then there were even more people still at the Louvre.

And Lady Deafinizer was loving it.

If you asked her, they all should have run home by now. Sure, Paris was loud, but wouldn't you be able to hear more than a dozen people screaming in terror and suddenly getting cut off even from a distance? Whatever. She'd just have to re-educate them into knowing that.

Luna floated her way through the crowd, capturing more and more people in her gaze in the middle of their screams. Adults, children, young, old, citizens, and tourists alike. She'll teach them all!

She gracefully flew up to the Louvre and stood at its point tip-toed. After point her finger at the so that her ring could make them hear only her, she spread her arms above her head and yelled in a clear, commanding voice, "You're education begins at a later time. For now, it's Teacher Appreciation Day! I ask you all to serve me as my army until I am able to collect the miraculouses of two little troublemakers."

Chat and Deer Heart watched this all from a distance. After finishing the command, Luna swooned to one side and began to fall, but she managed to regain herself for a while and floated the rest of the way down. It was a good thing she did, because Deer Heart was worried that she would get hurt.

"Just as I thought," Chat said, "Saying commands out loud and to multiple people makes her tired!"

"Is that part of your plan?" Deer asked.

"Yup. Here's what we do..."

* * *

Lady Deafinizer had her army escort her into the Louvre Museum. After all, museums were meant to teach people. They always had tour guides and plaque explanations to inform visitors, but for now and forever, Luna would be doing all the teaching.

There were more people inside the Louvre. Did they really think that she wouldn't come in?

She hypnotized all of them. Their screams were useless, but their minds were not, of course! She was sure that she could teach even the dumbest person in the world!

Deafinizer commanded that they all join her army as well, and promptly found a chair to rest upon. Sitting there, she re-examined her work proudly. She had made an amazing fighting force. In one day! That must be a world record.

Suddenly, she sat up, alert. She could sense that the presence of Chat Noir and Deer Heart were close. Very close. She smiled. _These two need to be taught warfare_ , she thought to herself, _for they just don't know when an army might be ready to spring a trap on them._

Luna floated outside, her arms crossed regally, back straightened perfectly, white gown flowing elegantly; she was like a queen. It was time that she showed Hawk Moth's past villains how to get a job done.

Once outside, she gasped. "Deer Heart, Chat Noir! How thoughtful of you! Not only did you come to turn yourselves in, but you've brought me so many more students!" she cackled.

"I assure you that we aren't turning ourselves in, nor are we giving these people over to you, but we are finishing this. Right here, and right now," Chat replied. "This army of ours is going tk help us stop you."

Luna laughed again. "I must admit that you mischief makers are quite funny. You think that is an army. Wait until you see mine!" And with that, a flood of hypnotized people streamed out of the Louvre. They came out so fast and so eager to execute Luna's commands that they shattered the glass and walls of the famous building to get out faster. Chat Noir and Deer Heart weren't fazed, though, and that just made Luna angrier. "ATTACK!" she cried, pointing to the black cat and pink-and-brown deer warriors.

Her army was targeting the heroes, she didn't want to hurt new students, and that's what Chat had been counting on. He had also predicted that Luna would go around and entrance the people that had agreed to help him and Deer Heart, which she was now doing. Everything was going according to plan so far.

Eventually, Luna had hypnotized everyone and flew back up to the top of the Louvre. "Join my army, new students, and together we shall put an end to Chat Noir, Deer Heart and Ladybug!" When she mentioned the name of his lady, Chat noticed the pain in his arms. Ladybug was pretty light, but he had been carrying her around for a long time without giving his arms a rest. Not to mention that he had been holding her while evading Luna's army!

He set her down on a bench now as Deer Heart began playing her last song. A song that was meant to hold back the army and influence Luna's tiredness. Chat ran to catch the falling women and set her down on the ground in front of the Louvre. Deer followed him more carefully, trying to give equal attention to walking and playing her instrument.

Chat looked to Deer Heart. "Could you point out what the akumatized item is, please?" Deer pointed to the black rose ring on Lady Deafinizer's hand as she held the note she was playing. Chat carefully took it off and then smashed it against the floor, shattering it and making the akuma fly out. Quickly, he captured it in his hands as Plagg told him how he could purify the akuma.

"CATACLYSM!" he shouted. He felt the akuma wither into dust in his hands and threw it's remains into the air where it reformed into a beautiful white butterfly that flew off into the distance. "As Ladybug says, 'Bye-bye, little butterfly,'" he said with a small smile as he watched it go.

Deer Heart had stopped playing her flute and everyone was beginning to come to, now that the evil magic was gone. Ladybug got off of the bench, shaking her head to clear her mind. She stumbled over to Chat Noir. "What happened? What did I miss?" she asked her lover.

"All in good time, m'lady. For now, could you restore our city for us?" Chat replied.

"Of course!" she answered with a sweet smile. Ladybug took her yo-yo and sent it up into the air. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

As a flurry of ladybugs flew around restoring the damage that had been dealt to Paris from all if the fights, Deer Heart was reminded of Sam. She quickly ran over to were the bubble had gently lowered itself to the ground and popped, depositing the sleeping boy onto the floor. Deer Heart rested his head in her lap, gently smacking his face to wake him up. "Sam? Sam, can you hear me? Wake up, Sam."

His blue eyes fluttered open. "Woah, an angel. Am I dead?" he muttered, half-conscious.

Deer Heart giggled as she moved his hair away from his face. "No, silly, you're not dead. My name's Deer Heart."

"Ce-Cecilia?" Sam mumbled.

Deer Heart gasped, but disguised it as a cough. She was still in her costume, wasn't she? Yes, the gloves on her hands told her so. How did Sam know?

"You must have mistaken me for someone else, you _did_ just wake up and all. I'm a superhero. My name isn't Cecilia, it's Deer Heart," she laughed.

"Every hero has another identity," Sam said quietly, still gathering his bearings. "Plus, I'd know those magical eyes anywhere..." Without warning Sam's eyes grew wide and he rolled over and off of Deer Heart's lap, sitting on his legs the same way Deer was. He hoped that she couldn't see the blush encasing his face as much as he felt it burning him up. "Aw, feathers, sorry 'bout that Ce- I mean, Deer Heart. I was, um, just trying to help you know? I-I hope I wasn't a burden to you and, uh, oh gosh, I called you an angel..." the last part escaped quietly, another thing he didn't mean to say, and he hoped that the hero hadn't heard it.

Deer Heart laughed again in the same, tinkling laugh that he had heard earlier that day. "It's alright, citizen. You weren't a burden, and without your help, I wouldn't have been able to help Chat Noir save the day. I'm just glad that everything turned out okay, and that you're safe. And thank you for your help."

If it was possible, Sam's face burned even more. He laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Y-yeah, of course!"

Then, Deer Heart leaned forward to whisper something into Sam's ear. "Since you know, we'll talk about this later, okay?"

She didn't need to say what they were going to talk about specifically, he already knew. Sam nodded in response.

Deer Heart got up and walked back over to Ladybug and Chat Noir. _So Cecilia_ is _Deer Heart,_ Sam thought to himself. The thought made him wonder, _What's next?_

* * *

"Chat, Ladybug, I just want to let you guys know that I'm leaving since I'm going to de-transform soon," Deer Heart told the other two heroes.

The couple turned. "Oh, right, of course," Chat said. "Speaking of de-transformation, I've got to go too. Plagg really wants some Camembert. You coming, m'lady?"

"How could I say no to you, Chaton?" Ladybug replied.

Deer Heart snarled inside at that line. Stupid bug. _G_ _osh_ , how she _hated_ her!

Heart bid farewell to the hero couple and ran to a dark alley where no one would see her and de-transformed. Her kwami, Deerja, popped up beside her.

"See? That wasn't as bad as you thought it was gonna be, now was it?" Deerja asked in a sweet voice.

"You're right, it was worse," Cecilia replied.

"Aw, c'mon, don't be like that. You really should team up with them more often. And stop prejudging people."

"I'm not prejudging anyone."

"You judged Marinette before you met her."

"Well, now I have met her, and I still don't like her."

"How much do you _really_ know about her?"

Cecilia opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, she opened her purse and gave Deerja a French fry. "I'm trying to be civil, alright? I _guess_ I could act friendlier, but that doesn't mean I'll like it. The only reason I helped them today was because Adrien asked, but if _Clumsinette_ had asked me, I would have refused in an instant!"

Deerja shrugged her shoulders, satisfied after eating her fry and hearing the Cecilia would try harder to be more open and friendly. The pink-eyed blonde pulled some of her hair aside so that her kwami could hide among the pink, fabric cherry blossoms on her hairband, and then she walked out of the alley and back into the sunny streets of Paris.


	5. Chapter 5 - Worries and Explanations

**Note** : I do NOT own Raymond and Cecilia Roserade, Deerja, Luna Mew, or Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir. The first four belong to PinkSakura271 and the last one belongs to Zag Toons. The only character of my creation is Sampson Hikaru Blackwell, and if you want to learn more about him, look on my profile page.

Also, thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I really appreciate all of them! :D

Now, enjoy!

* * *

The door bell rang twice and Cecilia went to open it, excited for her mentor to be coming over for dinner.

There she was! Her beautiful, looks-way-younger-than-her-actual-age Auntie Luna! She dressed in a way that was both formal and casual, and her glasses could never be more clear.

"Hi, Auntie!" the blonde teen exclaimed, throwing her arms around her former home school teacher.

"Hello, Cecilia!" Luna Mew replied, returning the hug. She came in and Cecilia closed the door. "I'm so happy to see you! I'm terribly sorry about the whole... Lady Deafinizer thing. I feel absolutely awful and silly! I'm just lucky to have you, aren't I, mon élève précieux?" Luna added, saying "My prized pupil" in French.

Cecilia giggled. "Don't feel bad, Auntie! It wasn't you're fault. It was that Hawk Moth guy again, turning your anger into something much worse. And you had every right to feel upset and angry. We shouldn't have dropped something so important like that on you. I promise it won't happen again. Now, follow me! Dinner's ready. Daddy finished cooking it himself a few minutes ago, and I just finished setting the table."

"You really are too sweet, Cecilia, just like how the name 'Deer Heart' suggests. I take it that you'll fill me in on all this... _superhero_ business?" Luna asked, following her into the dining room.

"Of course!" Cecilia answered. "In fact, it's about time that we told you. You've been kept in the dark for _way_ too long!"

* * *

In another area of Paris, a trio of boys were coming out of a movie theater.

"Wow, it feels so great to just hang out with my bros for a whole day!" Adrien exclaimed, finishing off his popcorn.

"We should do this more often," Nino added. "Maybe with the girls."

"Nino, you know a free day like this is a rarity for me-"

"I know, I know. Geez man, don't be such a buzzkill!" The guys laughed. "Besides, Sam doesn't have a crush on anybody, right Sam?"

The dark-haired boy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he threw his empty popcorn box into the trash. "Um.. actually..."

"Oh-HO! There _is_ someone! Who is it? Juleka? Rose? Alix?" Nino whistled, "Nah, not Alix. Kim would pound you the second he found out."

Sam and Adrien laughed again. "There's no _way_ I'm telling you guys!" Sam said as they walked to the place the decided to go to for dinner.

"Actually, I think it's my pink sister," Adrien guessed. This made Sam jump. Was he really _that_ obvious?!

"Hey, I think you guessed right!" Nino chuckled, slapping Sam on the back. This earned a small yelp from the boy.

Sam coughed. "What makes you say that?"

"You're tomato-red face," Adrien said in his smug, Chat-like way. Sam's hands immediately flew to cover his face.

"Shut up!" he yelled, laughing nervously.

"You know, her birthday is coming up," Adrien said, chewing on his last piece of popcorn thoughtfully. "You gonna get her anything? A deer plushie? A new cherry blossom head band? Or maybe a," he made a heart in the air with his fingers, "heart-shaped box of chocolate-and-strawberry Dupain-Cheng macarons?"

Sam punched Adrien lightly in the arm with one hand while keeping the other on his face. "I said shut up, man!"

"Yeah, Adrien," Nino said. "You're ideas suck. _Clearly_ , he's going to go to her house, dress up like he's from the Renaissance, and sing her a love song on one of those lute things!" Nino and Adrien burst into a fit of laughter so hard that their own faces turned red.

"That was- that was good, Nino!" Adriend said between laughs. Nino couldn't reply; he was laughing much too hard.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up you guys. Just remember, I still have the video from Alya of you doing _just that_ when you made her mad, Nino," Sam said.

"Woah, woah okay, sorry, Sam," Nino said, "I'm just kidding!"

"You dressed up in breeches, grabbed a lute and sang for Alya outside of her house?! How come I haven't heard about this? And where did you even find a lute?" Adrien asked, desperately trying to hold back another wave of laughs by biting his finger.

Nino sighed. "Ask Mari. _I'm_ not the one who's explaining that story to you."

"I will. I'm going to text her right away after I get home."

"Oh, joy."

"Anyway," Sam interrupted, "What _would_ Cecilia like for her birthday?"

"Look at that!" Nino exclaimed, "Romeo _finally_ admits he wants Juliet's heart!"

"Guys, seriously. I really want to get her something now. What should it be? A teddy bear? A blue bracelet?"

Adrien stared at him in horror. "Are you crazy?!"

"Um... no?"

The blond model slammed his hands down on Sam shoulders and began shaking the life out of him, "Cecilia reacts to the color blue like a bull reacting to the color red! She HATES blue! Do you _want_ to die?!"

"Adrien! Stop shaking him! Seriously, he's starting to look a little green," Nino said, prying Adrien away from Sam.

"Sorry, but I'm being serious, too. I collected blue flowers once when we were six and gave them to her," Adrien said, reminiscing, "She grabbed them out of my hands, tore off the petals, slammed them onto the ground, stomped on them, and ran back inside her house. She wouldn't talk to me for a _week_."

Sam and Nino whistled at the same time. "Note-to-self: blue equals _BAD_ ," Sam said. "Should I just buy myself new clothes so she has a better color to look at? I wear blue to school pretty much _every_ day."

Adrien shook his head, "Nah, don't. She told me that blue actually looks really good on you."

Sam blushed again. "You know what? Let's talk about this _after_ we sit down and order," he said, opening the door to the cafe for his friends.

* * *

"This Hawk Moth man sounds much more dangerous than they let on in the news," Luna said. "One of his villains _really_ almost hurt Adrien back in April?"

Cecilia nodded. "Yes, but Sam didn't mean to. He's really a nice guy, but Hawk Moth enhanced the disappointment, anger, and sadness Chloe made him feel on April Fool's Day. At least, that's what Adrien told me. The part about Chloe, I mean. I already know how nice Sam is first hand."

Cecilia had just finished telling Luna about how Sam had become the evil Prankster and how he had rampaged around Paris because Hawk Moth had given him powers. According to what Adrien had told her, of course, since she hadn't gone to school before then. She had also told Luna who Ladybug and Chat Noir were; her father had already known.

"I'm so proud of you, Cecilia!" Luna said, "So smart, and even a superhero. It's been a while since I've just sat back and took a look at how much you've grown up, mon élève précieux!"

"You can't be more proud of her than I am," Raymond said, smiling.

"It's frightening business, though. How are you not worried about her, Raymond?" Luna asked as she picked up a bit of roasted chicken with her fork.

"Oh, believe me, I am. Cecilia doesn't fight villains on a daily basis like Adrien or his girlfriend do, though, but if she did..." the blond man trailed off.

"If I did," Cecilia began, picking up where her father left off, "I would be perfectly fine. Really! Right, Deerja?"

The little deer kwami nodded as she swallowed a small piece of potato, "Of course! My magic will give her the highest protection while she's fighting akumas."

"You both know I'd want to believe that, but real life tells me other wise," Raymond replied with a sigh.

"How about this: If I ever do start fighting crime on a daily basis, I'll tell you guys first. For now, you don't need to worry about a thing. Look, I even had dessert covered _and_ I'll do the dishes!" Cecilia said with her sweetest smile as she took hidden desserts out of the fridge.

* * *

In one particular house in no particular part of Paris lived a little old man with an important, old secret. This man, who went by the name Fu, stroked his gray beard thoughtfully as he stared at a special assortment of boxes.

A small, green, flying turtle with large green eyes said, "You have to tell her soon, you know."

Fu sighed. "I know, Wayzz," he told the kwami, "But is she ready?"

"She's more than ready, we both know that. It's a matter of 'Are _you_ ready?'"

The old man though about that for a while, then went over to a table and picked up a phone.

It rang twice, and then, " _Hello_?"

"Hello? Raymond? Good evening! Is Cecilia there? I need to talk to her..."


	6. Chapter 6 - A Tale to Tell

**Note:** You guys probably don't even read these anymore, huh? XD I don't own Miraculous and I don't own Cecilia or Deerja (they belong to PinkSakura271). Sam is my OC. Also, I am so, SO, **SO** , _**SO**_ , _**SO**_ sorry for not updating for three weeks! Things got kind of hectic... AnYwAy... _VOILA_! A new chapter, ready for you to read! Enjoy!

* * *

There was a knock at the door, and Master Fu hobbled over to open it. There stood the girl who was like a niece to the old man.

"Hi, uncle!" Cecilia greeted, throwing her arms around he beloved uncle.

"Hello, Cecilia!" Master Fu replied. "I'm so glad you come, especially how I had just called you yesterday. How has my little deer been doing?"

Deerja popped out of Cecilia's hair. "We've both been great!"

Master Fu laughed, "Glad to hear it!"

"So, what did you need to tell me, Uncle?"

"Well, I needed to tell you the story behind your magic," Master Fu began, glancing at Deerja, who's gleeful smile changed to that of a serious line. "The peacock and deer miraculouses are connected to each other just like the ladybug and black cat miraculouses."

"Really?" Cecilia asked.

"Really," Fu replied with a small smile.

"How are they connected?"

"Well, I know the legend of the bug and cat magic to be true, but I've never seen the connecting magic of the peacock and deer." The small old man rubbed his chin. "Still, it's very possible that the legend could be true..."

"Oh, please tell me the story, Uncle Fu!" Cecilia pleaded, taking a seat on one of the cushions.

Fu laughed and took a seat as well after closing the door.

"Though the peacock and deer miraculouses are just as old as the black cat and ladybug's, they haven't been used as much. That is why I have never seen them in action until this period in time."

"This period in time? Just how old are you, Uncle?" Cecilia asked.

Fu chuckled. "Let's just say older than you know. Now where was I? Ah, right. Those two miraculouses were used even before I was born, which was many, many centuries ago."

"Centuries?!"

"Alright, more than one century ago, now hush. Do you want to hear the story or not?" He said this in a playful way.

Cecilia giggled and nodded, keeping silent.

Fu continued. "All of the stories of the miraculous' past have been past down from guardian to guardian as well as kept in a sacred book filled with many details of the magic items that may otherwise be long forgotten. Still, I know the tale of the peacock brooch and your deer quite well.

"A long, long time ago, the first holders of the miraculouses were called the Creators. They were called this because they had taken much of the magic in the world and placed them into the secret garments that I guard today, leaving out the most important magics like the magics of love, friendship, and courage. Gathering the other powers of the world, they banded together to fight the evil on our planet, and all was good until the Creator who possessed the Moth's magic became tainted, and power hungry, but that's a story for another time."

"I know you said not to interrupt, uncle, but I forgot to mention to you a while back that I have a hunch on who Hawk Moth may be."

Fu reached over and gently squeezed her hand, "We can discuss that soon."

"Do you know who he is?"

"No. Not exactly. I only have a hunch, just like you. We mustn't stray from our original topic, though! Back to the story.

"Among the heroes, there were two leaders: the Ladybug Creator, who was known as Lady Marietta, and the Black Cat Creator, who's name was Prince Adrionius. I also remember the names of the other first holders, but that is unimportant for now. Though, I will tell you the names of the first holders of the deer and peacock miraculouses. The Deer Creator was named Princess Celynvia-"

"And the Peacock Creator?" Cecilia asked, not being able to contain her excitement any longer.

"His title was Sampsoniel the Noble," Master Fu said with a smile. "The tale of Sampsoniel and Celynvia is quite a beautiful one, but it is also quite long, and I do think I've kept you here long enough. It's already seven-fifty. Any later, and I'll make you late for school! Your father would be furious."

Cecilia sighed with dissapointment. It had felt as if he had only just begun, but her Uncle Fu was right. The day was wearing on, and if she stayed any longer, she wouldn't make attendance. "Okay," she agreed, reluctantly getting up from her seat. She kissed her small uncle on the head, hugged him, and then crossed to the door. "I'm going to come right here after school, Uncle, so you better be ready to tell me the rest of the story!"

"Of course!" he answered with a wave, and Cecilia opened the door and left.

"It may be your future after all," he said after she had gone, and even though he wore a smile upon his face, his tone seemed to be hiding sadness, nervousness, and fear.

* * *

Class was let out for recess, and Sam wove through the crowd, looking for one particular blonde with pink eyes. Eventually, he found her chatting with Lila. He sidled up to the two girls and clear his throat with a cough into his fist.

They turned, and Sam suddenly found himself under the mercy of Cecilia's beautiful pink gaze. His heart beat faster than he could ever remember it beat in his entire life. Faster than the time he went on that Silver Bullet rollercoaster on his family's vacation to California. Faster than the time he got to go to an anime convention and talk to the voice actor of Natsu Dragneel, one of the main characters of his favorite anime. His mind was at a blank. He couldn't think, couldn't feel anything...

"Did you need something, Sam?" Cecilia asked.

Her voice brought him back to earth. It soft and clear at the same time, and he tried not to think about how light and bubbly it sounded when she laughed.

He shook his head to clear it and forced himself to look away from her eyes and at his feet because he knew he wouldn't be able to talk if he looked at her enchanting eyes.

"Uhm..."

Cecilia turned back to Lila. For a second, he thought he had screwed up and stalled for too long. Was she going to just think that he was performing another one of his pranks and just going bac to her original conversation?

 _Stupid nervous thoughts_ , he scolded himself, _of course she wouldn't do that! Cecilia's too kind... and perfect..._

Instead, she said to Lila, "This seems important. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Lila smiled and replied, "Yeah, alright. Happy birthday, Cherry Blossom!" and gave Cecilia a hug. She started to leave when she turned around again and said, "Oh, and happy Valentine's Day, too!"

 _Wait, WHAT?! Valentine's Day?! What day is it? February... 14TH?! GOSH, ADRIEN DIDN'T TELL ME! I am SO going to murder him!_

As Lila walked by Sam, she glanced at what he was holding behind his back and smirked. "Good luck, Romeo," she whispered.

Sam gulped.

"Come on, Sam, spit out. You know you can tell me anything." She smiled.

He could practically feel steam coming out of his ears and knew that if he stayed any longer, he might actually get a bloody nose like the characters in animes. Sam swallowed again and tried to contain the red on his face. He took a deep breath and felt his face cool, but his ears still burned.

"Uhmm..." he repeated. "So, uh, Adrien told me that today is your birthday a- and I thought that, well, since we're friends now, I should get you something for your birthday sohereyougo, it'sapinkdeerlingPokémon, hopeyoulikeit, happybirthday, bye!" He handed her a pink, deerling plushie with a pink ribbon around its neck into her arms, then quickly sprinted away (kicking himself mentally along the way for talking too fast).

Cecilia watched as ran away, then look at what he gave her. She smiled. The little Pokémon was adorable and resembled a pink and brown deer with flowers. _Aw, he's so sweet_ , she thought, hugging the little doll. _I didn't get to thank him though..._

The bell rang again for the next class to start.

* * *

Cecilia walked back to Uncle Fu's place. She was unable to catch Sam, but she did see him scurry out the door. It was almost like he was trying to avoid her. Then again, giving a gift to someone of the opposite gender and of no family relation to you is kind of a big deal at their age, so she didn't blame him too much if he was a bit embarrassed.

She reached her uncle's house and knocked on the door.

"Coming!" a voice called from behind the door.

A few seconds later, Cecilia heard the door being unlocked. "Ah, Cecilia! You're back! Come in, come in. I've just made some tea and I'll go get some cookies and French fries from the kitchen," Fu said.

After helping Fu by carrying the tea tray to the small table in his living room, they both sat down. The little old man spooned some sugar and added some cream to his tea. He took a sip, then asked, "So, you are ready for the rest of the story?"

"Mhmm!" Cecilia nodded, reaching for a strawberry biscuit.

Thoughtfully, Fu took another sip of tea. "Where was I before you left?"

"You finished introducing Sampsoniel and Celynvia to me," she said almost instantly.

"Ah, yes. That was a test; I wanted to make sure you were paying attention," he said with a chuckle.

Cecilia gave a small snort and rolled her eyes in an exaggerated, but amused, way. "Sure, Uncle. Can you please tell me the story now?" she asked, biting into the cookie.

He laughed again, "Alright, if you insist." he cleared his throat. "Once upon a time-"

"Uncle Fu, that beginning is so cliché!"

"I know, but this is how it starts in the sacred book where it's written. And what did I say this morning about interruptions?" Fu smiled playfully.

The blonde pretended to lock her lips and throw away an invisible key. Deerja settled down on the table and nibbled on a fry.

"Now... Let's see... Once upon a time, long ago in ancient China..."


	7. Chapter 7 - Tale of Old (Updated)

**A NOTE THAT IS IMPORTANT AND NOT A TOTAL DISCLAIMER FOR ONCE:** Hoi guys! So there's a song parody in this chapter and it goes to the tune of "Once Upon a December" from Disney's _Anastasia_ , which I LOVE SO MUCH. I don't own Miraculous, blah, blah, blah. Yes, Adrionius and Marietta are based off of Adrien and Marinette and yes, Celynvia and Sampsoniel are based off of Cecilia and Sam if you didn't realize that in the last chapter. Of course, they're different characters. Similar, but not 100% alike. Cecilia belongs to PinkSakura271. Oh, and Meleia is based off of UnicornSecrets' Miraculous OC Melissa Gray. Sam was my own creation, but I obviously don't take full credit for the creation of the characters in this chapter and the next one. If you read this whole paragraph, thanks, and now you can reap your reward. I present to you this next chapter.

Enjoy! :D

* * *

Once upon a time, long ago, in ancient China the Mongols took over. And since they did not wish to let the Chinese rule their own land, they hired foreigners to be the officials. One such official was a French princess named Celynvia. Legends say that she was absolutely beautiful. Supposedly, she had hair like golden silk, skin as pale and soft as snow, and dresses of the richest pinks, reds, and whites there ever was. Her brother was a French prince and also a Mongol official, and he was Prince Adrionius. He, too, is said to be very handsome. He had hair like the rays of the sun, eyes like the brightest emeralds, and a smile so good that some ladies used to faint by just looking at it, even if it was directed to someone else. Their existence, of course, was kept a secret because they helped to create the miraculouses in China. They were the twin children of Charles V of France, and when they created the miraculouses to secretly help the Chinese get their own land back, they had nearly all traces of them destroyed, except for the records that have been kept safe, such as the ones kept by the Keepers of the Miraculouses. The Black Cat Miraculous is the miraculous that uses unlucky and destructive magic was made by Adrionius, and the Deer Miraculous that uses graceful magic was made by Celynvia.

Prince Adrionius fell in love with Lady Marietta, which was her other name. Her original Chinese name is unknown, but she was the Creator of the lucky Ladybug Miraculous. They loved each other very much and had a beautiful wedding in China.

The problem was that Celynvia greatly disliked her sister-in-law. Hated her, even, but her beloved brother and his bride didn't know that. Until it was too late.

A year after her brother's marriage, they were all seventeen by then, Celynvia met a Japanese prince who was the Creator of the noble Peacock Miraculous. This was, of course, Sampsoniel the Noble. It is said that the two had first met by bumping into each other when Sampsoniel was helping a librarian and wasn't looking where he was going. Whether that is what actually happened or not, Sampsoniel fell in love with Celynvia the moment he saw her. She thought she was enchanting and brilliant and would do anything to earn her affection.

Sampsoniel talked a lot with Celynvia. They began to see each other everyday and became close friends. He gave her many gifts; sometimes it was a flower, sometime it was a dozen blossoms, other times it was things like bracelets of gold or silver hair ornaments. Slowly, he made Celynvia fall in love with him, even if she didn't realize herself that her feelings toward him had changed at first.

One day, a few months from when Sampsoniel and Celynvia met, Adrionius and Celynvia's cousin who had taken a year long trip away from China returned and came back to the Mongolian Empire. Her name was Meleia, the secret daughter of Duchess Eleanor of Austria. Meleia was the Creator of the powerful Bat miraculous, which was why her history, like the other Creators, was kept very secret.

Anyway, Celynvia introduced Meleia to Sampsoniel and they got along quite well. So well, in fact, that Celynvia began to grow jealous. But since her jealousy sprouted from unknown love, she couldn't do much to control it or confess to Sampsoniel. She quietly watched the friendship between her cousin and the person she didn't know she loved grow stronger in silent envy.

The French princess concealed her jealousy quite well, but not well enough. True, Sampsoniel became better and better friends with Meleia as the days went by, but he was still often seen with Celynvia. Unfortunately, as his love for her grew, so did her discontent. He noticed things about her that had changed. Small things, but the young prince from Japan was smart enough to know that small things could lead to bigger problems. He saw how she stiffened when one of them brought up Meleia's name, how her smiles sometimes became strained when her cousin showed up, that her eyes seemed to flare when he told her something funny that had happened between Meleia and he, and how she became a little more possessive of him every time they were together, as if she might lose him if she wasn't possessive enough. These little hints that he was sure the princess didn't know she was leaving made Sampsoniel ponder over the idea of telling her how he truly felt about her.

On the day Celynvia was to be eighteen, Sampsoniel rode his horse over to visit his beloved princess and give her the gilded ring with a small, elegant deer head on it that he got for her birthday. He had gotten her the ring because he wasn't sure if he should confess his love to her and promise to be by her side, or if it was better not to risk it at all. He galloped down the path through the woods surrounding Celynvia's home when he heard a beautiful voice singing a sorrowful song.

He left his horse tied to the trunk of a tree at the edge of the woods and followed the voice as quietly as he could. As he crept closer to the source, he could make out the words.

" _Dancing deers_

 _Noble birds_

 _Things that hurt to remember_

 _And the song that I now sing_

 _Once a lonely winter._

 _Wish someone held me safe and warm_

 _His smile melting a green-eyed storm_

 _A couple dancing gracefully_

 _Across my memory..."_

It was Celynvia; he'd know her enchanting voice anywhere. Sampsoniel knew something was wrong, that she was hurting. Her songs normally weren't so sad. And though the forest was where she always went when in distress, he knew that she didn't go out into the forest during the winter months unless she was greatly troubled. What he didn't know was that her trouble came from her worrying that her best friend might take the prince she unknowingly loved just a little more after a year when that Lady Marietta took her wonderful twin brother.

He peered through the foliage and found her petting the muzzle of a water deer as she sang. Her golden hair hung over her shoulder in a gleaming braid and her skin glowed against the pale snow. The prince watched her red lips move as they delicately formed the words of her song. He wanted to throw his arms around her, to comfort her, but her ballad left him awestruck and unable to move from where he hid.

" _Wish someone held me safe and warm_

 _His smile melting a green-eyed storm_

 _A couple dancing gracefully_

 _Across my memory..."_

She hummed the tune of the song as she danced beautifully in the snow. The deer watched, seemingly as mesmerized as Sampsoniel.

" _Once before_

 _Long ago_

 _Glowing dim as a lantern_

 _Things my heart wish it knew_

 _Things that make it hurt to yearn_

 _And the song that I now sing..._

 _Once a lonely winter..."_

Her voice trailed off as she returned to the deer. Even from a distance, Sampsoniel could see the crystal tear that went down her face.

The prince was by her side in two strides. He kissed her softly and slid the ring onto her hand as his blue cloak shielded them from the snow that began to fall. It was at that moment that Celynvia realized that her jealousy had sprouted from the love that she had for her prince, and now that they were together, she didn't feel that jealousy for a long time. One happy year passed for the couple.

And then...

Disaster.


	8. Chapter 8 - Tale of Tragedy (Updated)

**Note:** This is actually more of a **WARNING**. There is actual blood towards the end of this chapter so... yeah... It's not super violent, but you know, brace yourselves. I don't wholly own Celynvia and Meleia, they also belong to PinkSakura271 and UnicornSecrets. I own Sam, I don't own Miraculous, yada, yada, yada... Ta-da! New story! Enjoy! :D

* * *

Prince Adrionius and Princess Marietta came to the city where Sampsoniel and Celynvia lived as soon as Meleia delivered Sampsoniel's urgent letter asking for help to them. Celynvia had introduced them before the first time they came to visit after Sampsoniel met the Creator of the Deer Miraculous, and they had all become good friends.

The situation was very big, and very dire. Sampsoniel said that he was going to need all the help he could get. The letter asked for the French prince to ask his father, the king of France, for the permission to give something of great importance to Sampsoniel. Luckily, the king agreed and then the prince and his purrincess went to Sampsoniel's home as fast as they could get there.

What was the extremely big, dire, problematic problem?

Sampsoniel was about to propose.

He wasn't going to propose a war plan. He wasn't going to propose any idea that had to do with the miraculouses. Oh no. Sampsoniel was going for the big proposal. The biggest proposal of a man's life. Yes.

Sampsoniel was going to propose to Celynvia.

He was going to ask for her hand in marriage.

The two had been courting for about a year, and now that he was nineteen, Sampsoniel decided that it was time for him to ask Celynvia to stay by his side for the rest of their lives.

What was the thing he had asked Adrionius to get from his father? What was the request in the new letter Meleia promised to give to her uncle? ("I want to visit our relatives back in France anyway," she had said.) The permission to grant his friend his father's blessing, of course, and he already had the power to give Sampsoniel his own blessing.

Over the next few weeks, the young prince from Japan worried and planned and worried and finalized and worried.

Soon, the big day arrived, and he sent a letter asking his princess to meet him in the gardens behind his house under their cherry tree. (Sakura ;D) They called it "their" because not only was it the prize of the Sampsoniel's garden that they took care of together, it was also the tree where they had carved their initials. And now, Sampsoniel wanted it to be the place where he proposed.

Adrionius and Marietta were there to help him set up as well as to fix things up if anything went wrong. (Sampsoniel was worried that he might get too excited and do something like knock over the table if she said yes.)

Speaking of tables, the setting was delicately created by the trio. A table was set with porcelain, silverware, cups, and napkins for two. A candle was in the middle, in case they ended up staying out late. The table cloth was made of glossy white silk, and they would have a perfect view from under the sakura tree of the rest of the gardens. Adrionius and Marietta said that they would stay inside of Sampsoniel's palace so that they didn't make things awkward.

"Hey, Sampsoniel?" Adrionius called.

"Yes?"

"You do remember how simple my sister is, right? All this might be... too extravagant for her taste."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier, Adrionius?!"

The prince of France grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. But she'll still like it, I'm sure. Also, you're servants say that they're starting to run out of fire wood. I'm just going to go get some more for them."

"Are you sure? You know you don't have to."

"I'm sure. It'll help make things move along faster so that they can keep tending to the food."

"Alright, then."

"I'll be right back." He kissed his wife good-bye, then left.

"Bye!" she waved. Marietta continued arranging the utensils. "This is so nice."

Sampsoniel looked up from arranging the silverware on the other side of the table (he was the one who was proposing, so he thought it'd be nicer to use forks, knives, and spoons since that's what they used in France rather than chopsticks). "What is?"

"That we're all gonna be a family soon!" Marietta replied.

The blue-eyed man dropped a fork. "Wh-what?"

She giggled. "Don't tell me you haven't thought of that yet! Adrionius is Celynvia's twin brother. She's my sister-in-law. Which means that if you marry her..."

"...Then I'll be you're brother-in-law! Or, something like that," Sampsoniel finished, catching on. "But that's only if she says yes."

Marietta laughed again. "Of course she'll say yes. You two are absolutely perfect for each other!"

"Do you think..."

"Do I think what?"

"Do you think... that maybe... that maybe you could help me practice the proposal?"

"You really are nervous, aren't you?" she laughed.

Sampsoniel nodded, fumbling with the box in his pocket. "How should I do it? How do people propose in France?"

"First, you get down on one knee." The prince did as he was told.

"Perfect! That's when you pull out the box. Then, you say a few words leading up to the big question that tell her how she's special to you, slowly open the box, and then ask her to marry you." His hands trembled as he slipped the box out of his pocket, as if he were actually proposing to Celynvia at that moment rather than practicing how to propose with Marietta.

Unfortunately...

" ** _How could you_** ** _?!_** " The scream came from behind them, back where the manor met the edge of the gardens. It was Celynvia, running up to them, having seen them practicing and assuming the worst. She slapped Sampsoniel. Hard. "How dare you invite me to dinner, and then propose to my brother's wife! I thought you loved me!" she cried.

"Celynvia, it's not what you think-" he objected, a hand flying to where she had hit him. But that was just the beginning of things.

She turned to Marietta. "And _you_! You unfaithful _scum_! My brother gave you his heart, and you had to go and make another prince fall in love with you! I knew it! I knew you were horrible from the second I met you!"

"You don't understand! Celynvia-" Marietta tried.

"SHUT UP! I hate you!" She stepped back and looked at them. "Both of you!" The princess ran away in tears.

"Celynvia, WAIT!" Sampsoniel ran after her, bumping into Adrionius along the way. Wood clattered to the floor.

"What happened? Why was Celynvia crying?" he asked.

"It's quite a story, but you're wife will have to explain," his friend replied, patting him on the shoulder before running again.

The runaway princess was already on her horse, galloping back to her home just as Sampsoniel mounted his own steed and went after her. "CELYNVIA!" he bellowed, but she didn't stop. They reached her manor and she hurriedly went in and locked the door. "Celynvia, open the door!" Sampsoniel began pounding on the entrance. "Please! I will break this thing down!"

"No."

He sighed. "Then hear me out. I know what you saw might have been... troubling, to say the least anyway, but you don't understand! That ring wasn't meant for Marietta, it was meant for you! I was just so nervous about messing up that I asked her to help me practice proposing to you... Please open the door. Take a look at the ring, it'll show you that I'm telling the truth! I had it especially made for you! Celynvia, please." The prince started ramming his shoulder into the door to try and knock it in. Just when it felt like his shoulder was going to break, the door gave way first with a loud _CRASH_ _!_ and he ran inside.

"No..."

Sampsoniel found his lover in front of the fireplace, still glowing with a few embers left over from the morning fire. A knife with an intricate hilt lay in her limp hand and a pool of red surrounded her. In her distress, Celynvia had decided to take her own pain away.

Her kwami floated above her. A young Deerja stared up at her master's lover with sad eyes. "I... I tried to stop her. She wouldn't listen..." The small deer's eyes filled with tears as the same happened to Sampsoniel. The young prince knelt down and brought her body into his lap, ignoring all the blood. A wound through the heart had done it.

He slipped the box out of his pocket once more, but took out the ring this time. It was golden, and had a beautiful design. Rather than a band with an ornament attached, the entire ring was created out of an entwined deer and peacock. Duusu flew out of her hiding place to join Deerja. "I know what you're thinking, Sampsoniel. You aren't really..." she asked, sadly.

He took a deep breath. "I am. This... This is my fault." His eyes lifted off of Celynvia's body and back to the kwamis. "Once I'm gone, can you make sure that our miraculouses go to either Adrionius, Marietta, or Meleia?" The kwamis nodded solemnly. "Good."

Sliding the old deer ring that he had first given to her, Sampsoniel put the new ring on her finger. The old ring went on his. Taking another deep breath, he said with all his heart, "Celynvia, I take you to be my wife. I shall love you now and forever as I meet the end of my days. May death never do us part." He kissed her one last time, arranged her body nicely with her hands over where she had stabbed herself, then took the knife from where it sat. The Japanese prince lay himself down next to her and poised the weapon over his own chest.

"I'll see you soon."


	9. Chapter 9 - A Newcomer (Updated)

**Note** **:** I do NOT own Miraculous. Cecilia Roserade and Deerja belong to PinkSakura271 and Melissa Gray, Echo, and Luke Gray belong to UnicornSecrets. Sam Blackwell is my own OC.

That's it! Enjoy! :D

* * *

"That's just like Romeo and Juliet!" Cecilia exclaimed as Uncle Fu finished up the story.

"Quite so," he said.

"What happened to you and Duusu after Sampsoniel and Celynvia..." the blonde trailed off, realizing that the memory might be painful for her little kwami.

"We arranged Sampsoniel nicely, like he did to Celynvia, and waited," Deerja replied quietly. "We knew that Adrionius and Marietta would have chased after them, and once they came, they delivered us back to the Miraculous Guardian at that time."

"I'm so sorry, Deerja," Cecilia said, giving her kwami a gentle kiss on the head.

"It's alright," she sighed, "Of course, it wasn't your fault! And... at least their together now."

Suddenly, music filled the air. "Oh, sorry," Cecilia laughed nervously, "That's my phone." She checked the caller ID, then answered the call. "Hi, Adrien. What's up?"

"Hey, Cecilia," answered the model. "I've got a birthday surprise for you, but I'm going to have to give it to you tomorrow. Come to school early, 'kay?"

"Yeah, okay." She hugged the deerling plush Sam had given her closer. During the story, she had pulled it out of her backpack, its pink bow still around its neck. "See you tomorrow, then!"

"G'night, sis."

"Sweet dreams, kitty."

After she had ended the call, Master Fu decided that it was time for them to say good night as well. He walked her to the door. Deerja hid in her hair once she bid Fu farewell. "Before you go, I have an errand for you to do as soon as possible."

"Of course. What is it?"

Fu gestured with a finger for the girl to bend down and he whispered what he wanted her to do in her ear. After listening, she nodded thoughtfully. "I see... Can I have help from a fellow miraculous holder?"

"If they agree to help you, yes."

"And should I give it to you after I get it?"

"No. I have a feeling that you will know who it is meant to go to after you acquire it."

"Are you sure? You really want me to make a decision like this?"

Fu nodded with a warm smile on his face. "Yes. I know that I am not to make this choice."

"Alright, then." Cecilia hugged the little man.

"And keep in mind that history tends to repeat itself, especially when magic is involved."

Cecilia cocked her head to one side in question, but decided that the old man just wanted to end the night on a virtuous note. "Okay. I'll be sure to remember that. Good night, Uncle."

"Good night, Cecilia."

He watched her leave from the door step and wave when she turned back. The old man didn't close the door until she was out of view, and when he did, he whispered, "And good luck."

* * *

Cecilia arrived early the next morning as Adrien had asked her to. She waited by the front of the school until a sleek, black, expensive looking car pulled up in front of the steps. Adrien stepped out and stood just outside the door so that she couldn't see inside the car. She could tell that he was hiding something.

"Hi, Cecilia."

"Hi. So, what's that you're hiding in the car?"

"How do you have such sharp eyes?" he laughed. "It's you're birthday surprise."

"Excuse me!" came a voice from inside the car, "I am NOT an "it", Adrien Agreste!" The blond stepped aside as a girl stepped out of the car, a backpack on her shoulders. Cecilia gave an excited gasp.

The girl was pale skinned, with straight, long, bright orange hair that was topped by a loosely-worn, gray beanie. Her eyes were a light blue. She was tall, lean, and wore a black leather jacket over he plain white T-shirt. Her legs donned black leggings and black Converse sneakers.

"Melissa Gray!" Cecilia cried as she ran up to give the girl a hug, "What in the world are you doing here?! I mean, this is great, I haven't seen you in forever, but seriously!"

Melissa laughed and hugged Cecilia back. "I moved here."

The pink-eyed blonde pulled away and looked at her friend with wide eyes, "What?!"

"Yeah," Melissa giggled, "I would have told you sooner, but Adrien wanted to surprise you."

"Why is this _your_ surprise?" she asked Adrien with a questioning look as the car drove off.

"She's transferring to this school," he explained, "but her parents are still working where she used to live since Luke is still wrapped up in basketball season. They'll be officially moving here once school lets out." Luke was Melissa's older brother.

"I wanted to come here early 'cuz I knew that it was gonna be your birthday soon and I really wanted to see you. But my flight got delayed. Mr. Agreste said that it was okay for me to stay at Adrien's house, so that's why it's his surprise. Sorry I missed out on giving you your present yesterday, but here it is!" She pulled a nicely wrapped package out of her backpack. "I'm not gonna tell you what it is, but let's just say that it's something I bought behind your back when I saw you eyeing it last time our families went to Ireland together," she winked.

Cecilia gasped, looking at the package in her hands, "OH MY PINK, you shouldn't have! You bought me that skirt from the mall? The pink one with the black deer on on the edges?"

Melissa blinked. "No. I bought you a mini Harry Potter toilet seat decoration for you room." The two girls stared at each other, then burst out laughing. "Nah, I did buy you that skirt."

"Melissa, you're the best!" The birthday girl gave her friend another hug. After stepping away, she asked quietly, "Can I see Echo?"

The new girl smiled in a secretive way and opened one of the pockets of her backpack so a little head could stick out.

The kwami was like a miniature bat. It had a pink nose and a smile that represented a loving, motherly personality. It had small, white fangs and and golden-brown eyes. Cecilia kissed the top of the kwami's head. "Hi, Echo!"

"Hello, Cecilia," she squeaked.

Melissa was the holder of the Black Bat miraculous. She was born in Ireland, but her family had moved to France once she was a year old. She had met Cecilia Adrien at a party and they became great friends. After helping a shivering Master Fu by giving him her jacket two years ago, she had received bat miraculous. Her family had just been visiting that year, but now they were actually moving to Paris.

Plagg and Deerja flew out to greet their kwami friend as well. They chatted for a few more minutes and then left to hide again because people had begun to arrive at the school. Most of them noticed the new girl. A few came over to say hi and introduce themselves. Two of those people were Sam and Marinette.

Marinette greeted her boyfriend first. Giving him a hug, she said, "Morning, Adrien." Sam went with the flow. "Hey, bro."

"Hi, Mari." He kissed her head and gave Sam a fist bump. "Hey, Sam."

"Hi, Cecilia," Marinette said, turning to her. Sam's voice stopped working when he tried to talk to her, so he just waved instead.

"Hi." Cecilia knew her smile wouldn't look as nice if it was directed toward Marinette, so she turned and smiled to Sam instead.

"Are you a new student?" Sam asked, turning to Melissa.

"Yup!" the Irish girl replied. She sounded friendly, but also a bit cautious, as if she was assessing these new people and deciding how to act around them. "Just moved here yesterday. I'm staying at Adrien's house until my family can come over. The name's Melissa Gray." She extended her arm for a handshake.

"Sam Blackwell," he replied with a grin, accepting the shake, "I just moved here not too long ago, too."

"And I'm his neighbor Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Marinette said. Melissa shook her hand as well, resisting the urge to cast a glance at Cecilia. So this is the girl who annoyed Cecilia so much? "It's really nice to meet you! My family runs a bakery not too far from here. You should come over some time, I'll give you some macarons as a house-warming gift."

"Hey, you never gave _me_ any macarons when I came here!" Sam complained.

Marinette laughed. "Fine, I'll give you some tomorrow."

"Want us to help you get to homeroom?" Sam offered.

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks!" Melissa followed Sam into the school with Marinette. She decided that they seemed nice enough, and that she'd try to make friends with them. Adrien was about to follow when Cecilia caught his arm.

"I have a... _miraculous_ assignment that I need help with."

Adrien grinned, catching what she really meant. "Sure. What is it?"

Cecilia looked around to make sure no one was listening. Everyone had already entered the school and was waiting in the school courtyard. She and Adrien were the only ones left outside. The deer hero quietly repeated what Fu wanted her to do into his ear. (Cecilia had introduced Adrien and Marinette to Fu.)

His eyes widened. "My father has a miraculous?"

Cecilia shrugged. "Apparently. Fu didn't tell me why he has it exactly. So, will you still help me?"

Adrien nodded. "Of course! If it's supposed to be given to a new holder, then it should be given to them. Marinette's coming over today. She should be able to distract my dad since they like to talk about fashion and stuff." Cecilia barely stopped herself from frowning. She wanted this to be something just she and Adrien could do. "Is it okay if I let her in on this?"

The words _Ugh, why always her?!_ flashed into Cecilia's mind, but instead she gave an abrupt nod and a simple, "Okay."

They walked into the school to begin their day.


	10. Chapter 10 - A Newsy Talk (Updated)

**Note** : Wow... I left you guys hanging for so long... I am SO SO sorry! DX I've been so busy that I've neglected this story. Geez... It's 2018 now... Well, what better way to kick off the year than with a new update, huh? **4/14/18 Update:** Hi! I've updated this chapter just like I have with chapters 7 through 9, but I also changed its name, just in case you guys are wondering. Its original name was "An Informative Walk". Anyway, you know what doesn't belong to me, so, here's the new chapter!

* * *

After school had ended, Cecilia rounded up Melissa, Adrien, and (to her displeasure) Marinette.

"Alright, here's the plan: Marinette and Adrien will distract Mr. Agreste," she said, thoughtfully. In all honesty, Cecilia would much rather have Adrien not be paired up with Marinette on their mission, but she knew that Mr. Agreste might think that something was off if his son wasn't there when his girlfriend was at their home. "Melissa and I will locate the miraculous. Once we're done, I'll escape from Melissa's room and she'll find a way to tell you guys whether we succeeded or not."

"Sounds good," Adrien agreed as a limo pulled up to the sidewalk.

"You'll enter from my room, too, right? I think it's at the front of the mansion, second to last window on the right," Melissa said as they started to leave.

Cecilia nodded. "Got it. I'll see you in a few minutes." The four of them waved to each other as the limo began to drive off with Melissa, Adrien, and Marinette inside.

There was a tap on her shoulder.

The pink-eyed blonde turned around and came face-to-face with a semi-introverted dark-haired boy. "Hey, Cecilia," he greeted with a smile.

She smiled back. "Hi, Sam. What's up?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and cast his eyes to the ground. "Well... um... are you busy today? 'Cuz if you're not, I was just wondering if you'd want to come to the park with me? Just so you could explain what you wanted to explain that day? I mean, you don't have to, and I don't wanna pressure you or anything, but I'mjustcuriousandallthatso..."

 _Explain? Oh, that's right! I promised him I'd explain the whole superhero thing._ "Actually, I've got something to do today... Sorry."

"Ah, it's okay, that's fine! Really, we could just meet up some other time, maybe?" Sam offered.

Cecilia gave a small giggle. This boy really was too kind. "How about we just walk and talk instead?"

Sam grinned, but she didn't see the nervousness in it, "Okay."

They started off down the sidewalk, side-by-side. "So, this whole... superhero thing?" he started after a few moments, talking in a low tone.

"Right. I guess I should start by saying that I'm not exactly a superhero?" Cecilia said. It wasn't a question, but it came out sounding like one.

"You're not? But you seem like you've been doing that kind of thing all your life!"

This rewarded the boy with a pretty laugh like clinking crystals. "How would you know?" she asked in a playfully mocking voice. "You were knocked out in a bubble for nearly the entire time!"

" _Au contraire, mon ami_ , I saw you fighting before I was knocked out and put inside- wait, what did you just say I was in?"

Another giggle. "A bubble."

"I was in a bubble? And I was asleep? Gosh, I must've looked so pathetic..." Sam mumbled.

"If pathetic means adorable, then sure," Cecilia said with a reassuring smile, "Besides, everyone has those moments."

Sam tried to push down the heat rising to his face. _She called me adorable! Ack, c_ _alm down, Blackwell, keep your cool... you're doing great..._

"Heh, thanks," he chuckled. "So if you haven't been saving lives all your life and you're not a superhero, what are you? And where'd you get those powers and stuff?"

Cecilia thought for a moment. "Well, I guess I'm a backup? I mean, if I see someone in trouble, of course I'll help them. I did that all the time back where I used to live, but I've never really done patrolling and other superhero things like that. Besides, all the magic villains have been popping up here in France, and with Chat Noir and Ladybug already here to take care of things, they don't really need me, do they?" She shook her head. "No, you know what? I'm not. I'm not hero, Sam. More of an anti-heroine, to be honest." Cecilia said the last part quietly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that last bit."

"Oh, it's nothing. Anyway, I the powers from this little magic creature called a kwami," she continued.

He didn't push the subject of what she said, though he was a little curious. Instead, he asked, "A kwami? What are kwamis? Besides magical creatures, of course."

The girl tried to think of what exactly a kwami was, but didn't know if any of her thoughts were correct. "I'm not exactly sure, but I think they're like these magic spirits that are linked to each miraculous, which are enchanted accessories that give the wearer power and make the wearer partners with the kwami. They're small, they fly, look like animals, talk, and they're kind of like a friend that you keep in your pocket. Every kwami is different for each miraculous. Like how Chat Noir's looks like a black cat and Ladybug's looks like a ladybug. They only appear when a miraculous is activated, but not being used. And by that, I mean that they're around when the miraculous is not in a dormant state, but not being used for it's magic."

Sam nodded, processing all this, as well as pondering the way Cecilia's eyes went a bit dark whenever Ladybug was brought up. Was it possible that she didn't like the Red Lady? He wanted to ask, but on the account that the topic would be a touchy one and that he wanted to keep their conversation light, he decided to save it for another time. Again, he replied with something else.

"I see. So, does that mean that you know who Ladybug and Chat Noir are?"

Cecilia gave a small nod as well. "Yes, but their identities aren't my secrets to tell, I'm sorry."

"Hey, hey, that's cool," Sam said, waving his hands, "I totally get that. Um... but could I see your kwami? I'm guessing it must look like a deer, right?"

"Yup! Let's see... Come here." She took the boy by the hand ( _Sam, no freaking out. Stay calm, stay calm, it's no big deal. She's just holding your hand to lead you somewhere so she can show you her kwami. Quit overreacting!_ ) and brought the two of them into the shadows of an alley between to buildings before revealing the little deer. "Come on out, Deerja! Sam wants to meet you."

The kwami flew out from behind Cecilia's pink headband and stopped at a comfortable viewing distance for Sam to see her properly. The adorable living novelty greeted Cecilia with a smile for a brief second first before turning to Sam. "Hi, Sam!" she said, waving a little paw, "I'm Deerja, the kwami of the Deer Miraculous." The small deer then indicated the delicate, pale-pink necklace around Cecilia's neck with a five-pronged antler charm. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person!"

The boy chuckled at the intriguing creature. "Likewise," he said, "Even though I only heard about you just a few minutes ago." Sam stuck out a finger and Deerja shook it with two of her paws.

A small growling noise was heard and the three of them paused. Deerja hesitated for a moment before asking, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but do you happen to have any fries with you? I can smell potatoes..."

"Oh," Sam laughed. "Yeah, I've got some leftover potato wedges from lunch. Here." He searched through his midnight navy blue shoulder bag before pulling out a small container the held three wedges of potato. He gave one to the hungry kwami.

"Thank you very much!" she said, eating it happily.

Cecilia smiled at them. "I'm glad you two are getting along so well, but I think we'd better get going." Deerja finished up her wedge as Sam put the rest of his leftovers back in his bag. "It's been nice talking to you, Sam."

He smiled back. "It's been nice talking to you, too, Cecilia."

Deerja went back into hiding as the pair started back out onto the sidewalk. "And, um, Sam?" Cecilia began.

"Yeah?"

"I know I've pretty much explained everything, but I'd like to take up your offer for that park trip sometime," she said.

Sam ignored the pounding going on inside his chest. "O-oh, yeah, sure."

"Great!" she said with a sweet smile. "Oh, and I don't think I ever thanked you for that birthday gift you gave me. So, thank you so much! I love it, it's one of the cutest plushies I have. Well, see you later."

"Y-yeah, see you," he replied, waving nervously.

But once Cecilia was out of sight, Sam pumped a fist in the air as he turned around to go home before his basketball practice.

"Good job, Sam! Ya didn't blow it!"


	11. Chapter 11 - The Vault

**Hey there, miraculous fans** **!** Sorry for the long wait, I've been loaded with things and projects to complete. In otherwise, I've been pretty busy. But hey, new chapter! And it's a bit of a long one, too. Not exactly my longest, but still pretty long.

I don't own Miraculous, Cecilia and Deerja (PinkSakura271), or Melissa and Echo (UnicornSecrets). Sam (only mentioned in this part) is mine.

 _Bonne lecture!_ (Happy reading!)

* * *

It took a few minutes, but eventually Cecilia made it to the Agreste mansion. She found a place and secretly transformed into Deer Heart before counting the windows and finding the one Melissa had told her about earlier. Leaping agile as a deer, she made it up to the window's sill and peered in.

The door suddenly opened and she quickly pressed herself against the wall behind her to try to not be seen. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was just Melissa and no one else.

Deer Heart tapped on the window, a grin creeping up to her face. It was hard _not_ to smile, considering the small, mischievous stunt they were about to pull. Melissa turned on the second tap, and a smile lit up her face as well. The redhead walked up to the window to let her partner-in-crime bestie in before closing it behind her.

"Hi," Deer Heart said in greeting.

"Hey," Melissa replied. "I don't think I'm going to transform. That way, only one of us has to hide from Mr. Agreste and Natalie."

Deer Heart nodded in agreement. "Good call. Anyway, do you know where he, Adrien, and Marinette are?" She spit it the last name almost like it was something distasteful. Melissa decided to ignore that small detail for the time being.

"I think they're in the parlor at the moment. Natalie should be in her office and the Gorilla is on break."

The current holder of the deer miraculous chuckled a bit at the nickname of Adrien's bodyguard, having been told about the name from Adrien over the phone. "Great, so we've basically got the whole place to ourselves while we search!"

"Any ideas on where we should start?" Melissa asked.

Deer Heart pulled out her flute, "I was thinking that some magic might help us find it faster." She brought the instrument up to her lips before pausing. "You don't think this'll be too loud, do you?"

Melissa thought for a moment before shaking her head, "Natalie's office and the parlor are on the other side of the mansion, and this place is _huge_. As long as you don't play it too close to where they are, I'm sure we'll be fine. I say play it. The faster we find the miraculous, the less of a chance we have of being caught."

"Okay," Deer Heart said, reassured. She brought the instrument up to her lips again and began playing softly. A beautiful melody filled the air, and as the music played, a translucent pink deer glowed to life in front of them in a flurry of music notes. As the melody ended and the doe's head finally materialized, it turned to the two girls before prancing straight through the bedroom door. The teens looked at each other as they shared a giggled and then quickly chased after their magic guide.

The deer leaped through the halls, elegant and silent. They ran up a flight of stairs and turned a corner only to hear the faint murmur of voices in the air.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I must take this call." They peered around the corner and found Gabriel Agreste, his body already halfway out of a door.

"Whoops, looks like we reached the parlor without noticing. Sorry," Melissa said sheepishly. Their guide bounded down the hall ahead of them ad turned another corner.

"We're losing it!" Deer Heart whispered.

"We'll find it. For now, hide!" Melissa replied, hastily.

Luckily, the hall they were in was a hall on one of the edges of the house and had large windows lining its left side. They quickly got behind two giant curtain and tried to keep their feet out of sight by leaning on the inner window ledge. Footsteps grew louder and eventually faded as they dared not move a muscle.

Once the sound of steps was gone, the girls released a breath they weren't aware they were holding.

"That was a close one," Deer Heart sighed.

Melissa chuckled, "You're tellin' me."

"Let's just find the miraculous and get this over with."

"Agreed. A thousand times agreed."

Peeking behind the curtains to make sure that the coast was for sure clear, they left their hiding place and ran as softly as they could to find the doe. They discovered it curled up on the floor just around the next corner. As they approached, she lifted her pretty head, flicked an ear, and then turned around to continue leading the way. In a few moments they reached a painting. Here, the doe tapped her nose gently on the artwork and dissolved into pink notes, just as she had been created.

"A painting?" Melissa wondered out loud. They were both wheezing a little, but it wasn't just from their little sprint. Most of it was from the exhilaration of their mission and the anxious feeling of perhaps being found out.

After a few seconds of recovery, Deer Heart tentatively walked up to the painting and gently place her hand upon it, just like the doe had. "I don't understand," she said, "Did my spell not work?"

Suddenly, Echo flew out of her hiding place inside a pocket on the inside of Melissa's leather jacket. "Sorry to interrupt ladies- well, I'm not, really," the little kwami giggled, "but it might help to check behind the painting."

The facepalmed. "Of _course_!" They said in unison.

Deer Heart pressed her hand against the painting again, although slightly harder this time. Sure enough, the moment she lifted her hand away the masterpiece swung out on hidden hinges, revealing an iron door and a secret keypad. " _Please enter the_ _code_ ," it read.

"Ah, I know how to solve this one," she smiled.

Once again, Deer Heart pulled out her flute and played another melody. This one sounded mysterious, the perfect song for opening a hidden vault. On the last note there was a miniscule _click!_ and the vault door also silently swung open.

Inside the vault contained a small number of things. Some wooden rods lay on the bottom shelf alongside a notebook. There was a pamphlet to Tibet, a photograph of a pretty woman who must have been Adrien's mother due to their resemblance, a slip of paper, and a much older looking book on the top shelf. There was one last thing on the upper shelf, and it was a brooch.

The pretty little ornament gleamed green and blue in the lighting. It was shaped like a peacock, the center of it containing a blue gemstone and its crest of green feathers crested with silver-white pearls.

"That must be it!" Melissa breathed.

"Breaking into a hidden vault and taken a piece of jewelry. I feel almost like a jewel thief," Deer Heart chuckled as she took the brooch. "Alright, got it let's move."

They closed up the vault door and the painting before racing back to Melissa's room. Unfortunately, they didn't hear more footsteps coming their way until it was too late.

Melissa crashed into Mr. Agreste and the two of them fell on their backs. The sharp clattering of shattered pottery followed shortly after. Deer Heart quickly took this opportunity to hide in a conveniently nearby supply closet.

"Mr. Agreste!" Melissa exclaimed, quickly leaping back up to her feet, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" She helped the older man up.

"It's alright, Melissa. Just watch where you're going next time," he said with a sigh, "I better clean this up, though." The vase that had been sitting on the waist-high table behind him had made the crash noise. It now lay shattered to pieces on the tile, its water seeping around the petals of the daffodils that it had formerly been displaying. The fashioner designer dusted himself after he was risen to his feet and walked over to the supply closet. Perhaps it wasn't so conveniently placed after all.

Deer Heart held her breath once again as the footsteps of Mr. Agreste neared her hiding place. She looked around, but none of the supplies were big enough to possibly hide her. Maybe her best option would be to crouch in a corner and hope that the light wouldn't hit her-

"Oh, no, Mr. Agreste! I'll clean it up. It was my fault, and I'm your guest, so I should clean it up."

"That is unnecessary, Melissa. As you said, I am your host, I should clean it-"

"Yes, but I broke it, and I feel awfully guilty. I'll clean it and pay for it, too, later."

"Melissa Gray-"

"Didn't Adrien's girlfriend, Marinette right? Weren't you, her, and Adrien going to talk about Adrien modeling her new designs for your company? I'm sure your busy enough with that, so I'll clean this up, sir." Deer Heart stiffled a giggle as she heard Mr. Agreste's and Melissa's voice fading. No doubt, Melissa was pushing the man away from their previous location, as was evident by Mr. Agreste's protests and Melissa's continued rambling.

She waited a few more moments in the darkness of the closet. Minutes later, the door was opened and Melissa's familiar face peeked in.

"Coast is clear, again."

"Right," Deer Heart said, "Thanks for that cover."

Melissa smiled, a mischievous glint in her eye, "No problem. You head on back to my room, though. I'll clean this up. You remember 'da wae'?"

"Oh, no! Don't tell me Sam taught you about memes, too!" replied Deer Heart with a fond smile. Not just for her friend of course, but at the thought of the funny boy she had been walking with about an hour ago.

"You know it! But seriously, you can get back on your own, right?"

"I'm pretty sure I can. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, of course!"

The girls hugged before Deer Heart swiftly departed. She'd have to hurry. She may have only used up two songs, but that still didn't leave her with much time left. Deerja was getting tired.

The deer miraculous holder made it back Melissa's room with no more close calls. She slipped out the window and made it to the alley where she first transformed.

"Dazzling Done," she said quietly. Her costume changed back to her civilian outfit as Deerja reappeared in front of her.

"Good work, Cecilia!" the kwami said affectionately, cuddling up to her cheek. She sounded optimistic, but Cecilia could hear how tired she was.

"Thanks," the teen said. She held up the new miraculous. "Now off to Uncle Fu. He'll be thrilled we got this back, and I'll bet he'll have something potatoe-y somewhere."

Deerja nodded before retreating to her usual hiding place. Cecilia bagged the miraculous and set off for Fu's abode.


	12. Chapter 12 - Sweet Tooth

**Hope y'all have been enjoying your summer! Here's something to brighten your day. :D**

* * *

"Mommy, can I have a lollipop?" little Antoine asked.

His mother, Mrs. Lemaire, sighed. "Antoine, first you asked for brownies, then ice cream, and now you want a lollipop?"

The two of them were walking home, taking a shortcut through the park. Six-year-old Antoine had spotted a pretty rainbow lollipop, among other treats they'd passed, sitting in a stand on a vendor's cart. "Pleeeeease, mama? I want something sweet!"

"You already had milk and cookies for breakfast. Tell you what, when we get home, I'll cut you some peaches. How does that sound? You love peaches, don't you, Antoine?"

Antoine frowned, his lip beginning to tremble. "I don' wan' peaches! I wan' candy!"

"Antoine, please don't cry."

It was too late, though. Before Mrs. Lemaire knew it, Antoine was bawling and screeching and every passerby was looking at her and her son. She spoke to the little child in as calming of a voice as she could, but he just wasn't having any of it. "Antoine, _please_ ," she pleaded.

Little children have such passion for everything. It was odd to think that so much unadulterated rage could embody such a tiny little being. So much anger, so much desire, and all for such small things, like candy. The man from all the way across Paris loved it. Little children made for his most powerful henchmen.

Mrs. Lemaire was too busy to pay any attention to the Gothic little moth fluttering towards her son until it was too late. It landed right at the heart of the beloved teddy bear he had in his grasp. She was frightened, to say the least, when her son suddenly ceased bawling and the dreaded mask of Hawk Moth appeared on his face.

"Antoine! Antoine, don't listen to the voice-!" she cried worriedly, as a dark-haired boy came over to see what was wrong. It was of no use. Her son was already taken over by the false sense of dark euphoria.

 _ **Hello, Sweet Tooth.**_

 _Hello... Who are you, mister?_

 _ **Little child, I am Hawk Moth. You and I both desire something that's just out of our reach.**_

 _Candy?_

 _ **For you, candy, yes. But for me, I desire Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses.**_

 _Oh._

Antoine heard a gentle voice- an outside voice, one he didn't know- break through the thoughts. "Hey, little dude, I don't know you. But if you can hear me, trust me when I say that you don't have to listen to that man in your head. He's lying. You may just want candy now, but you have to realize that in the end you'll-"

 ** _IF YOU HELP_ _ME_** _,_ the dark, mysterious voice said loudly, drowning out the outside voice, ** _little Sweet Tooth, I can give you all the candy and sweets your little heart desires. What do you_ _say?_**

"Okay, mister!" Antoine whispered, his sleepy looking gaze shifting into something sinister.

Mrs. Lemaire screamed with despair as her young boy was engulfed with black.

* * *

Master Fu inspected the peacock brooch with a careful eye while Cecilia sat looking at the pretty thing over his shoulder. After a moment, he turned to her with a delighted smile on his face. "Well, done, Cecilia! You and your friends have done well."

Cecilia grinned, "Thanks."

"Now, all that needs to be done is for the miraculous to be given to its new and rightful owner."

"Do you know who it may be?" Deerja asked, munching on a fry.

Fu shook his head. "No, I do not." The brooch in his hand seemed to suddenly glint especially bright in the lighting of the room. He smiled again. "It appears that _she_ does, though."

Deerja flew over and patted the brooch with her little kwami paws. "I'll have my old friend back soon!"

"Care to head out with me and look for the new owner?" Fu asked.

"Right now?" Cecilia replied, surprised.

He chuckled. "Why not?"

They all grabbed a few things before walking towards the front door. Fu lifted a hand to open the entrance when he paused, hand suspended in midair.

"What's wrong, Uncle Fu?" Cecilia asked.

"There is trouble afoot," he answered, a grim look on his face.

"An akuma? Unless it's a robbery or something let Stupid Spots handle it."

"We must hurry. I fear that this is something that Ladybug and Chat Noir won't be able to handle alone."

"But Uncle Fu, you _know_ I can't stand that awful beetle! Please, please, _please_ don't make me go and join them out there! I'm sure that they'll be fine."

Fu and Deerja gave Cecilia stern looks that told her that they wouldn't take no for an answer. With a reluctant sigh, she gave in.

"Fine. Deerja, it's Dazzling Time!"

* * *

"That all, mom?" Sam asked, as he loaded another heavy bag of dog food into his mom's animal adoption and hospital center.

The place was small, but otherwise looked like any other standard vet/animal shelter. There were animal cages along on wall and animal pens along another. There was a desk just across from the glass doors. To the right of the desk was a door that led to the back where there was a small field for animals to roam around more freely during the day. To the left of the desk stood another door that led to the operation/check-up room.

"That should be all! Thank you, sweetie," said Mrs. Blackwell, kissing her son on the cheek. She was a tall woman with dark almond eyes. Her hair was put up in a tight bun and her white lab coat was as spotless as if it were new and hadn't been used for the past six years. "Why don't you go and head home? I'll finish sorting things out here. I'll probably be home before your father, but if he comes before me, you two can surprise me with dinner for a change."

"Are you sure? It looks like there's still a lot to-"

"I'm sure, Sam. Don't you have homework?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Go on, go! There really isn't very much. Unless you really want to stay so I can pester you about that girl your friends say you always talk so much about. What did Nino say her name was? Cecilia?" Mrs. Blackwell said with a smirk.

 _NINO._ "Well, would you LOOK at the time!" Sam, exclaimed, ignoring the voice crack that came from his suddenly dry throat. "I better get going, see ya, mom!" He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing his shoulder bag dashing out the door. His mother chuckled and shook her head as she watched her boy sprint away from her. _Dude, I SWEAR, even if you sleep with one eye open and a bat under your bed you are SO not gonna make it through the night. I'll probably just text him in the middle of the night so he can't sleep. Yeah... I can have another secret Netflix marathon in my room and text him to keep him awake. Screw school!_

"They grow up so fast," Mrs. Blackwell sighed.

Sam slowed as he decided to cut his way through the park. Things were quiet until he saw a little boy in front of him collapse into tears.

"Candy!" the little boy bawled. "I want candy!"

"Antoine, _please_!" a woman, who Sam guessed was his mother, pleaded.

"I want ca-!" That was odd. The boy's crying quickly evaporated as if they'd never been there and silence returned. Except this silence was so much more foreboding. Sam ran over, knowing that something was wrong.

"Antoine! Antoine, don't listen to the voice!"

"Ma'am, what's wrong?" he asked.

"My son, he wanted candy, but I didn't give it to him. Fight it, Antoine, please, don't listen!"

Sam, having been akumatized before himself, knelt down in front of the six-year-old, grabbing the tiny shoulders of the boy. "Hey, little dude, I don't know you. But if you can hear me, trust me when I say that you don't have to listen to that man in your head. He's lying. You may just want candy now, but you have to realize that in the end you'll be okay without it!"

He thought that just for a moment he saw the mask of Hawk Moth flicker off the boy's face, but it briefly returned. "Hey, listen! You don't need to do what he-!"

"Okay, mister!" the little boy whispered, and a look so dark came upon his face as he was taken over by inky darkness. Sam jumped back and watched as Antoine was lifted into the air.


	13. Chapter 13 - Peacock Bleu

**A/N: Happy birthday, Sam, my blue boy! (In the IRL timeline, of course, not the story timeline)**

* * *

Ladybug swung onto the scene as fast as she could. It wasn't hard to spot; there was a flying child dressed from head-to-toe in candy clothing rampaging in the area, after all.

Antoine was dressed like a candy king. His chocolate brown hair bore a crown made out of shining candy corn and glistening, jewel-like rock candy. His red robes were made of red taffy and he flew around on a cloud of unmeltable marshmallow fluff and cotton candy. In one hand he held an intricate candy cane staff and in the other his beloved teddy bear.

He giggled in delight. This was exactly what his young heart desired. With this power, he could turn all of Paris into one giant treat!

 _ **But don't forget, little boy. We have a deal.**_

"Yes, Hawk Moth."

Ladybug viewed the akuma in the park from a rooftop as Chat Noir landed by her side. "Geez, that kid is dressed in so much candy, it's enough to give me a tooth ache!" Chat said, rubbing his jaw.

His lady giggled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Okay, that's enough puns for now, chaton. Let's go deal with this akuma before he destroys the whole city," said Ladybug, swinging off the roof.

He followed suit, leaping down with the use of his staff. "Right behind you, m'lady!"

Deer Heart watched this quick exchange from below on one of the streets, Master Fu right behind her. She was filled with boiling jealousy and anger. How dare that stupid bug kiss her cat?! But at the same time, her heart ached. She knew Adrien was happy with Marinette. As much as she hated the girl, she knew that everyone deserved a little happiness, even her.

She sighed and quickly scanned the area.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir! I, Sweet Tooth, want your toys! Give me your miraculouses!" Sweet Tooth demanded. He aimed his staff at Chat Noir and a blast of red and white shot his way. The black cat hero dodged it with a last second roll to the side.

"Sorry, little guy, but I think you should wait until your older before getting superpowers," Chat said. Ladybug quickly helped him up.

"Are you alright, Kitty?" she asked.

"Just peachy, Bugaboo. Where's the akuma?"

After a moment of searching, her eyes lit up. "The bear!"

"Let's go get it, then. This'll be a piece of cake!"

Deer Heart was in turmoil. Chat Noir was nearly hurt! _Maybe Uncle Fu is right_ , Deer Heart thought. _The battle's just begun and that just missed Chat by a whisker!_ There was an insistent tug on her arm. She turned around.

"Yes, Uncle Fu?"

The old man pointed his staff to a familiar figure in the park who was ushering a woman and a few others to safety. "That boy. That's the one Duusu wants."

Deer Heart raised her eyebrows. "What?! Uncle, please reconsider. Not him! This kind of work is too dangerous."

"Ah, I see, you two are friends." Fu nodded in understanding. "This isn't my choice to make, though, Deer Heart. The miraculous as chosen him as its holder. He is needed in this battle and must be given his miraculous immediately. If this is timed wrong, it may not just be the boy who dies."

She looked back towards the park, worry creasing her brow.

* * *

"Quickly!" Sam said, "This way!"

"B-but my son-!" Mrs. Lemaire cried.

"Ma'am, everything will be okay! Ladybug and Chat Noir are here now, they'll see to it that your son is turned back to normal and returned safely to you, but right now you need to go. They can't focus on your son and protecting you at the same time," he said.

After a moment's hesitance, Mrs. Lemaire reluctantly nodded, fleeing with the rest of the crowd while looking back at Antoine.

Sam turned just in time to see Antoine, Sweet Tooth, break his staff out of the hold of Ladybug's yo-yo. She was flung back at the sudden drop of resisting force. Sweet Tooth chose that moment to attack, except this time the blast from his weapon was green apple colored. The attack met its mark and Ladybug found herself trapped in a sticky casing of gummy gel.

"LADYBUG!" Chat Noir yelled.

 _That's not good_ , Sam thought. There wasn't much he could do, though. He surveyed the area and found more people shocked stiff behind the rogue child. He dashed over to them.

"You all need to leave! Now!" he ordered. It took a while for their frightened brains to react to what he said. A few listened and began to run from the area. Unfortunately, Sweet Tooth saw what was happening before everyone could make their escape.

The child akuma giggled. "I see you~!" he laughed in a sing-song voice. Green apple bullets erupted from his staff. Each time a shot met its mark, the victim found themselves in a cocoon of green. It was only a few moments before they broke out of the shells as green gummy soldiers. Sam whipped his head around to see what became of Ladybug. The heroine hadn't emerged from her cocoon like the others.

His eyes widened as he suddenly found Sweet Tooth's gaze trained on him. With a malicious grin, the kid aimed and fired in his direction. Sam braced himself only to find that he was pushed out of the way. His eyes sprang open and he gasped.

"Deer Heart! No!" he yelled. _Cecilia!_

The blast had nicked her foot. She threw something his way before she was completely encased. "Take this and use it! You can do it!"

The object landed in his lap and his voice died in his throat as he watched the second heroine, his crush, freeze in the gel. He looked to see what she had given him. It was a fancy black box. He tore off the lid and looked inside. There lay a glittering piece of blue and green jewelry shaped like a peacock on a tiny velvet cushion. _Jewelry?! Wh-what is that supposed to mean?!_ he thought, blushing. The sound of Sweet Tooth whining in anger at Deer Heart taking the hit for him reached his ears and he quickly shook his head. _Now's not the time! She said take it and use it. What could that mean? Unless... No way...!_

There was a flash of sapphire light and Sam shielded his eyes from its brilliance. Before he knew it, there was a tiny, peacock-like creature before him. "Hi, there!" it greeted cheerfully in a female voice. "I'm Duusu, your kwami! We can get to proper introductions later. Right now, there's an akuma to deal with!"

He had so many questions, but not a lot of time. There was no one in sight except for Sweet Tooth and his gummy soldiers, who would all forget what happened as they unwantingly did their evil work, and Chat Noir. If his hunch was correct, the thing he now held in his hands was a miraculous and if he used it, he'd power up like the other heroes. Shrugging, he clipped the brooch onto the lapel of his leather jacket. He was cool if Chat Noir saw who he was.

"What do I do?" he asked, feeling the adrenaline boost in him. He was going to be a superhero?!

"Say 'Feathers Up!'"

"Alright, then. Duusu, Feather's Up!"

* * *

He had tried using cataclysm on the gel but it would work. It appeared that the cocoon was made of separate layers, and only the first gummy layer had given way. At this rate, he would run out of time and detransform!

Chat was losing hope when blue light suddenly filled his peripheral vision. It was coming from Sam's direction, but there was no Sam in sight. Instead, he found a hero figure clad in a blue suit with blue and green peacock feathers on his shoulders and miraculous brooch on the left side of his chest. White gloves that were sharp on the nails to resemble peacock talons adorned his hands and he wore white boots on his feet. A navy mask kept his true identity hidden, and blue and green peacock feathers lay in his black and blue hair. In his hands he clutched a metal pole that was tinted cerulean, not unlike his own staff.

Sweet Tooth blinked at the sudden transformation, processing what had happened before snarling. He fired at the new hero, but the new guy nimbly leaped out of range, staff expanding into a glider that resemble the glider from that one anime. Was it Avatar? Chat set those thoughts aside for later.

The new miraculous holder landed beside him and Chat glanced at the guy before smiling. "Sam, how'd you get a miraculous?"

"So you _did_ see me transform, then? And how do you know my real name?"

"Well, you were right in front of me so kinda hard not to."

"You were pretty occupied, though. Anyway, Deer Heart threw a box at a me, told me to use it."

"More toys to collect?! I don't wanna pick up anymore toys! I hate cleaning up! Just hand them over!" Sweet Tooth screeched. Chat turned to Sam again.

"I'll explain how I know your name later. Right now, let's rescue our ladies. What do you say, Peacock Bleu?" Chat asked, sticking out a hand.

The new hero looked down at the offered hand then back up at his new colleague.

"Peacock Bleu? That's got a nice ring to it!" he grinned and grasped Chat's hand in a handshake.

"Let's get down to business, Chat Noir."


	14. Chapter 14 - Implanted

Peacock Bleu and Chat Noir quickly separated from their handshake as a burst of green blazed between them.

"Hand over your toys!" screamed Sweet Tooth. The little candy king was starting to throw a real tantrum. Blast after blast of evil magic emitted from his staff, causing several objects in the park to break or turn into some kind of sweet treat. Bleu paused to take cover behind a tree.

"The akuma is in his teddy bear!" Chat yelled from across the park. "We need to figure out some way to get it!"

Sweet Tooth, overhearing, screamed, "No one takes my toys!" A beam flashed its way to the cat hero hiding behind an abandoned vendor cart. The cart blew to pieces and Chat sprinted to find something else to hide behind, a gummy bear army hot on his tail.

Bleu assessed the situation as best as he could, but the truth was that Sam Blackwell? Yeah, he may look cool and feel cool, but he was absolutely freaking out.

 _That kid totaled that cart in one hit! What the HECK?! I'm not a superhero, what am I doing. Oh my gosh we're all gonna die. I'mgonnascrewupandallofPariswillbedeadorturnedintocandybecauseofmewhatamIdoingthisisitthisistheend-_

 ** _Stay_** _**calm**_ , said a soothing voice in his head.

 _Duusu? Is that you?_

 ** _Yes. I'm with you, alright? Your powers are new, but let's work together. You've got to believe that you've got this._**

 _But-_

 ** _No "but's". No "what if's". No doubts. The moment you doubt is the moment you will stumble._**

 _Right. Right, okay. I've got this._ We've _got this._

 ** _That's the spirit! Now, that kid. He's up in the air and the bear is with him. The staff you're holding can be used for flying, but you have to have a jump point. Climb up this tree and tap the staff against the trunk._**

Bleu did as told. Jumping up, he caught a branch with one hand before swinging himself over. Sitting on the limb, he glanced at his hand with wide eyes.

"Didn't think that would actually work. Guess these powers come with extra strength, huh?"

The hit the staff against the tree and watched as a large sail and a small sail, both blue and shaped like feathered peacock wings, burst from the sides of the metal cylinder. "Woah...!"

There were metal handholds on the larger sail's supports. The smaller sail had metal footholds. He put the contraption against his back and took the handles into his grip. He decided to just go before he could contemplate too much what might happen if he was a bird that fell flat instead of flew. Bleu closed his eyes, face scrunching up in worry. _Here goes everything._ White boots pushed off the branch.

 _SHOOT! I'M FALLING! AGH, WHAT DO I-_

 ** _Sam, open your eyes._**

He cracked a blue eye open and found himself to be two inches of the ground. "Oh. I'm alive."

 _ **The tree isn't even that tall.**_

He scowled, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Laughter rang out through his head. **_Sorry, couldn't resist. Now, tilt your body up to get to Sweet Tooth's level._**

The air-rod began to head towards the sky at an incredible speed. He was really high now. It was cold. He was kinda scared that his face might fall off. The wind slapped against his cheeks and ran its fingers through his hair. It was exhilarating.

He opened his mouth to let out a whoop before deciding against it. Sweet Tooth would hear him. With the akumatized child focusing on Chat, it'd be best not to give away his airborne status.

Bleu leaned down to the right. The air-rod obeyed his command, tilting sideways toward Sweet Tooth's direction.

"Huh?" the tiny villain grunted as he swooped past. The candy kid swiftly dodged his outstretched hand, hugging his stuffed animal closer than before.

 _Dang it! Better try again before the surprise completely wears off._

Bleu leaned left. He snatched at the bear again. Another miss. He grit his teeth.

 _There's no way I can get close enough without accidentally ramming into the kid._

 ** _Maybe that's just what you need to do._**

The statement seemed so cold and sudden that Bleu lost control of his flight for a moment. He quickly recovered and brought himself back up to the level he was on before. _WHAT?! I'm not gonna hurt him, he's just a kid!_

 ** _I don't necessarily mean that you have to ram into him, but maybe if you grabbed him? Let go with both hands and grab him. The air-rod will hold your feet in place. Get the kid and throw the bear down to Chat Noir._**

He rerouted a second time, speeding toward Sweet Tooth. The villain pointed his candy cane staff his way, ready for the attack this time.

"Stupid bird! Stop trying to take my teddy!"

Sour apple blasts were fired at him. He dodged each one as best as he could, leaning left and right, tilting up and down. About fifty feet from the child. Fourty. Thirty...

His hands left the bars and he felt his flight staff latch on more tightly to his ankles. Bleu reached out, bracing himself for impact.

Twenty. Ten. Five.

His arms closed around a small torso.

"Hey!" Sweet Tooth exclaimed. "Let me go!"

"No can do, little dude."

He wrenched the staff out of Sweet Tooth's tiny fist and chucked it towards the ground. The small enemy began wailing in distress, the shrill voice shrieking right into Bleu's ear. He winced, but just tightened his hold on the little boy. Fists pounded against his and pushed against his face and he grabbed for the bear. He looked away from a moment and found a lamp post right in their zig-zagging path. They narrowly avoided it.

Finally, his hand was met with the furry arm of the bear. He tugged at it.

"No! It's _my_ bear! Get your own!"

"C'mon, let go! It's for your own good."

Chat watched all this from below. The black cat raced to and fro, trying to monitor where they were heading.

"Bleu! You're gonna hit that tree!" he called.

"ACK!"

Bleu turned his body just in time so that his back hit the tree instead of his face and Sweet Tooth. The collision left him stunned, and as he fell he accidentally released his hold on the boy. Chat ran over, springing into the air to catch the child before he hit the ground.

Like Bleu, Sweet Tooth also released what he was holding. The teddy bear flopped into the dirt beside Bleu.

The new hero was dazed. He gathered his bearing as best as he could and snatched up the bear while Chat restrained Sweet Tooth. He ripped the fabric of the bear open. A dark butterfly fluttered out from the stuffing ad the darkness left Antoine, leaving the young one de-evilized and confused. He looked around and observed the damaged park while the butterfly left. It flitted away before Chat could catch it. He shrugged with a sigh. There was nothing they could do about it, what with Bleu so rattled from his fall and his own pole not being efficient enough to catch such a tiny insect. That akuma would have to be another bridge for them to cross some other time.

None of them noticed the dark creature implanting itself into heart of a young heroine, still suspended in green gelatin.

* * *

Cecilia remembered being hit by a green burst of light and that was it. Now she was here, detransformed and unable to see. It was dark. Where was she?

Footsteps suddenly sounded behind her. _Tap, tap, tap._

She turned only to be greeted by more darkness. The resounding footsteps disappeared as promptly as they had come.

She turned back to the front and came face-to-face with a man masked in silver. Cecilia gasped in shock, taking a surprised step back.

"My dear Cecilia, I didn't know you were a superhero," the man smiled.

The girl narrowed her eyes, clenching her delicate hands into tight fists. She felt the need to show this man that she wasn't afraid. "You know me, huh? Can't say I can say the same."

He chuckled, shoulders shaking in the violet suit he wore. "You don't know who I am? Everyone in Paris knows who I am, although I suppose they don't exactly know what I look like."

Realization clicked into her mind. "You're Hawk Moth, aren't you?" she hissed. "You're the nutcase always causing pain to Chat Noir and his partner!"

"Ah, so smart, as always." He stepped closer. "It's true that I'm always against those two heroes, but I am far from the 'nutcase' you deem me to be. Everything I do is for a meaningful goal, you know. Just as you do."

"What? You're talking nonsense. A meaningful goal? Yeah, that means NOTHING to me if you're going to hurt Chat Noir and innocent people in the process. What would even give you the idea that I have a goal like yours?"

"No, no, no. Your goal is much different from mine. I see that a certain boy has captured your heart."

"W-what?"

He strolled around her, waving his hands as he spoke in a careless manner. "You're in love with Adrien Agreste, are you not? Nearly every girl is in love with Adrien Agreste, and who wouldn't be? The young man is a model. Handsome, rich, all around truly perfect. So many fawn over him. You my dear," he bopped her lightly on the nose with the tip of his cane, "are no exception."

She was blushing now, both from embarrassment and anger. She bit her lower lip hard."You don't have a clue about me! I love him... I love him because he's punny, highly intelligent, and is sweetly smug and loyal towards someone as undeserving as me." Cecilia looked away, ashamed. "Anyway, what I feel doesn't matter. Adrien..." She trailed off, looking away, clenching her fists. "Adrien has a girlfriend. And they love each other. I've never seen him so happy before. Especially not since his mother disappeared. I want him to be happy. Besides, he'll never see me as anything more than a sister."

"It doesn't make you mad, Cecilia? It doesn't make you frustrated to see him holding hands with the girl that you hate so much?"

"Well, I-"

"Of course it does. It's understandable, my dear, no need to be ashamed. Many girls are jealous of Adrien Agreste's new 'taken' status. But you don't have to be. Why don't you join me? I can make you more powerful. I can make you _stronger_. You can get your competition out of the way and have the boy of your dreams. What do you say?"

Hawk Moth smiled at her pleasantly, a gloved hand stretched out toward her.

She had to admit, the offer was tempting. She could have Kitty love her and be able to crush Ladylame like Bug she was. Still, she knew that taking Hawk Moth's hand would result in something disastrous. Adrien would never lover her if she turned into a rotten apple. Cecilia could just imagine the horror on his face. Not to mention that she had be doubting her feelings for him recently. Her heart seemed to direct itself toward another boy as each day passed by.

 _But I've loved Adrien for forever. If I agree to this, could I really..._

She shook her head. _No, what am I thinking? The answer should have automatically been no. Forcing someone to love you isn't true love, it's not worth it._

Cecilia looked Hawk Moth dead in the eye, pink gaze fiercer than ever.

"My answer is-"

The darkness around the cracked, shattering as blinding light entered. Hawk Moth growled in fury before he was completely gone from her view. The vision was fading. She was waking up...

* * *

Bleu got up and dusted himself off while those who had been turned into gummy bears reverted back to being people. Noticing how things were returning to normal, he whipped his head around, trying to find where Deer Heart and Ladybug were. Chat, picking up on what he was looking for, pointed in a direction. "They're over there!"

They hurried over to where their ladies were being freed from gummy prisons, Chat carrying a still very confused Antoine. He handed the boy over to Bleu once they arrived and threw his arms around Ladybug.

"M'lady! Bugaboo! My Sun, Stars, and Moon! Are you okay?" he asked, gently placing a hand on her cheek.

"I'm fine, Kitty," she reassured, "But what happened? Where's the akuma?"

Neither of the Lucky Duo heard Deer Heart mumbling to herself "Oh my pink, maybe HawkMoth has a point." Peacock Bleu did. He was about to go over and ask her if she was alright when Chat brought his attention back to the other two heroes.

He grinned and jabbed a thumb over his shoulder in Bleu's direction. "Already taken cared of."

Ladybug blinked. "Who's that?"

"Ladybug, meet our new hero friend, Peacock Bleu. Peacock Bleu, this is Ladybug," Chat said.

Bleu set Antoine down, holding his hand instead so he could bow in a dramatic manner. "Pleasure to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too," she laughed.

Antoine, who had picked up his ruined teddy bear before they had left their previous location, let go of Bleu's hand and scuttled over to Ladybug.

"Miss Ladybug," he asked, "can you fix my teddy?"

"Of course!" she smiled. The spotted heroine took the ripped stuffed animal. "I haven't used my Lucky Charm today, but this should work. Miraculous Ladybug!"

She tossed the bear into the air. They all watched as a hoard of glittering ladybugs swirled about it, mending the stitches and the cloth. Done with their job, the moved on to clean up the rest of the damage caused by the fight. Ladybug caught the bear and returned it to it's owner.

"Thank you for fixing Mr. Stuffy!"

"Anytime!"

Bleu was watching, enchanted, as the ladybugs instantly fixed the giant mess that had been created when he felt a light touch on his shoulder. He looked away and met beautiful pink irises that were even more bewitching than the magic insects.

"Ceci- I mean, Deer Heart! You're okay!" he exclaimed, taking her into his arms.

The sudden gesture of affection caught her off-guard, but she smiled nonetheless. "I am," she giggled. "You did a great job of fighting that akuma with Chat Noir."

"How can you be so sure? You were trapped in gelatin. You didn't see when I flew into that tree," he responded, a joking tone to his voice.

"You flew into a tree?! Why are you the one asking me if I'm okay? Are you completely sure you're alright?" She took his chin in her hand and turned his face left and right.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. A little sore, but fine." Bleu felt a tug on his arm. Antoine had come back to him.

"Mr. Peacock, I don't know where my mommy is," he whimpered.

Bleu knelt down, lightly placing a hand on top of the boy's light brown curls. "That's okay. Let's find her together, yeah?" Antoine nodded.

He stood up again. "You guys can go before your transformations run out. I'll help Antoine find his mom."

"Are you sure?" Chat asked.

"Yeah. I'm sure she's around her somewhere, so it won't take long."

"Okay. Thanks, Bleu. It was fun working with you, I look forward to it in the future," Chat said with a two-fingered salute.

"Me too," Bleu replied.

"Bye, Peacock Bleu! It was nice to meet you," Ladybug said.

He waved. "See ya, Ladybug!"

The two main heroes of Paris left. Deer Heart remained.

"Don't you want to get going as well?" he inquired. "I promise it won't take long to find Antoine's mother."

"Not really Bleu. The opposite actually. I want to make sure this little sweetie is okay. So may I?"

He laughed. "Sure. How can I say 'no' to pretty face like that?"

Pink dusted Deer Heart's pale cheeks. "You think I'm pretty?"

He really needed a filter. He quickly turned around so that Deer Heart couldn't see the explosion of red on his face.

"Uhm, yeah, uh, l-let's go!"

 _Stupid mouth! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!_ He scolded, mentally kicking himself.

 ** _He really is just like Sampsoniel_** , Duusu muttered, keeping the thought from Sam.


End file.
